Attend Music, Art, Or Community Festivals

It’s a wonderful world out there and it’s time to connect with people who feel the same! Enough of this old world chaos – humans are infinitely connected to all people and things, and it is time  we start acting as such.

My first immersion into the music culture was Bonnaroo 2009. I had never heard of a music festival before and somehow ended up working security.  Nonetheless, this experience changed my life forever and attuned myself to a different frequency.  All of a sudden I was here, in the present moment aware of my self and aware of my surroundings.  In this moment I lost all feelings of envy and jealously forever.   I could hear my self when once I was afraid, confused, and lost. It was an amazing and beautiful transformation and I’ve only grown since.  I realize this is not everyone’s experience when attending a music festival, but I can explain what did it for me –

You could say I was sheltered and this first festival, blew my head.  I questioned everything at once and  I saw things for what they were.  It was the colors, it was the people – they acted different, wore strange clothes, talked about weird things – it was the music, it was the gathering together of so many different people.  I saw the festival for what it was, and not what the festival ‘industry’ has become. It is not an avenue of commodity, even though it obviously has become that and even was that when I went; it is the gathering of people.

Excerpt from my blog –

“At Bonnaroo, I discovered myself. I reached a level of consciousness I never knew was possible. My understanding of the world, its forms and the human life had never been so intricate, so beautiful, and so fragile. Life is about love. No not the commercialized conception or the I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Love in the form of compassion and affection; love for all beings and creatures; love for man. A true sense of caring and a genuine desire for everyone to be happy. Things are what they are and people are what they are. Accept it. You do what you want to do, he does what he wants to do and you are all happy. You share, you empathize, you feel. This is what life is really about.

Coming out of this summer, not only had I experienced something, I had changed. I was a different person – more me, less sheep.”

Since then, I’ve certainly learned a lot. I’ve been to over 25 festivals, 12 this summer and continue to travel.  The festival represents a new way, a different experience, an opening of ideas, a feeling of love and belonging, a weekend not oriented about what you ‘do’.

Celebrate the true meaning of life with artistic expression and community.  There are tons of festivals out there, each with its own unique experience and so much to learn AND SHARE.  Don’t be a ‘No Sayer’ and make excuses. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer for free or work to get paid.

Rainbow Family

Some say we’re the largest non-organization of non-members in the world. We have no leaders, and no organization. To be honest, the Rainbow Family means different things to different people. I think it’s safe to say we’re into intentional community building, non-violence, and alternative lifestyles. We also believe that Peace and Love are a great thing, and there isn’t enough of that in this world. Many of our traditions are based on Native American traditions, and we have a strong orientation to take care of the the Earth. We gather in the National Forests yearly to pray for peace on this planet.

Check them out -> welcomehome.org

Burns

Hard to summarize, just look in to them. I’ve only been to Alchemy, but it was an amazingly beautiful experience.

“The event is described by many participants as an experiment in community, art, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance.”

There are more than you could imagine – VIEW ALL