Getting excited. Crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s.
Lots of work.
Lot of fun.
Burning Man runs on 10 principles. At first they felt a bit like “rules,” which I didn’t like. But then I leaned in and caught the spirit of them. Here are a few that stand out to me:
Radical Inclusion – At EDC Vegas there’s a giant billboard I love: ALL ARE WELCOME HERE. That sentiment is powerful. And yes, it’s not always true in reality—but the essence of it is. It’s about dropping judgment, welcoming those who are radically different, and letting them be. Honestly, I think I already live most of my life under this principle.
Gifting – Give freely. Expect nothing back. Such a beautiful idea. Secret gifts might be the best gifts of all.
Decommodification – No commercial crap. Every ad we see in daily life chips at our soul: Buy this! Consume that! For 10 days in the desert, we step outside of that endless noise. But the real challenge is this: can we carry that spirit back into the “real” world?
Radical Self-Reliance – What happens when a community of fiercely self-reliant people come together—free of manipulation, dependence, and consumer chains—to build something? We’ll find out.
Radical Self-Expression – Sing, dance, paint, strip down, or wrap yourself in cellophane. Burning Man (like raves) is one of those rare spaces where people actually drop the masks and just be. The wild thing is… we call that radical.
Just a few reflections tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll share the next five.