Day 152 – September 6, 2014

Burning Man still teaches. Every year, I receive more wisdom from the desert, some of it desired, some ignored, and some enforced. Playa teachings echo into the rest of my life.

Never put off work before to finish it later at the event in the desert. You may think once you arrive early to the party that you have many unfettered days to finish a project, but energy and enthusiasm saps quickly in the dust and distractions. The lighting crew thought we would write many more lighting shows-didn’t happen. I thought Greg and I would devise a Papal penguin project-didn’t happen.

Do prepare work neatly and clearly beforehand. In my apartment, I bagged projects, wrote detailed instructions, and attached tools. The set-up for the Platonic Solids and my bike lighting was a lot easier with less thinking required.

You tend to socialize only with those in your camp. Some friends this year bedded down the street – I hardly saw them. Under so many distractions, planned meetings go awry and schedules shift.

Some people can stay up nights until dawn and collapse in a puddle until sunset. I am not that kind of person. Even with proficient equipment, no job to fear on return, and few responsibilities, I still cannot and do not want to stay up until sunrise. I’m moderate, not an extremist.

Don’t force things. Follow spontaneity. Let the weather and the wild take you where it wants. Events get cancelled, new art drives by – get on board.

That last 10% of a project is quite important to the overall look of the project so don’t discount the finishing details. I’m better at lighting and programming than engineering and rigging. I assemble beautiful globes that I hang on shambling towers. I need to finish the project instead of avoiding the last bits. I want to learn knots.