For the most part, I am not plugged in - at all - to what the media and others are saying about the economic crisis right now. I know that lots of folks are struggling, and that it's not an easy time, by any measure, in the world. I have taken some hits and business is slow, however, I am seeking to put this experience in its proper perspective.
I have been living independently from the 'mainstream' for the last 15 years, after I came to the well-studied and supported conclusion that newspapers and magazines, in addition to TV shows and News , at least in the U.S. , are largely prey to their advertising and sales interests and that fear, terror and scandal are "good sellers". Instead of feeling the need to follow such outlets, what I have done is made a strong effort to pay attention to my surroundings and participate in the reality which I myself can verify with my own critical thinking and powers of perception. I also tend to listen to others I know who appear to be coping well with the life they are creating and do indulge in the alternative press and pay attention to local news some when traveling.
I have faith that this is truly more helpful for a variety of reasons. I have lived through many economic and political climates to date and have found, overall, that when money is tight - the more immediate and palpable values of life become central to human experience. What I mean is that I have had some really great times at highly creative events, listening to music, running through fields, laughing, crying and exploring with others, sharing thoughts, simple foods and drinks - all during moments that the cultural barometer was telling us to be cautious, withdrawn and afraid, even depressed.
When I moved to the Bay Area, in fact, there was a Recession on - not as severe or wide-ranging as the one presently in our faces, mind you. Nonetheless, prior to the rise of the Internet and 'dotcom' culture, SF was quite full of crazy and cool creators (and still is to be sure). At that time - the mid-Nineties, we were aware of the social climate, however, our response was to wildly, courageously and joyously create, despite the factors that we could locate, that were unpleasant or challenging to our existence and that of others around the planet. In my opinion, Burning Man and the Rave culture concomitantly arose out of that spirit of creativity and desire for there to be a way to shape our own existence with our own hands and hearts.
I remember gathering in downtown SF early one day with a group of dancers and artists and political activists for an annual event known as "the Mud People". Somebody went and got several buckets of soft mud and brought it back from the country/desert and made sure it was still wet and we took off all our clothes and smeared the mud all over our bodies. The only 'rule' of this gathering was that we were not to speak any languages we knew. Rather, we were meant to speak or gesture in ways that were totally made up and creatively bent, or suggestive of a primal nature in us.
And so we did. It was a raucously good time, let me tell you! Prior to that I hadn't done anything of the kind. We 'muddied up' and most of us - women and men - were completely naked, in downtown San Francisco, on a weekday, at lunch-time, covered in wet earth. How'd we get away with that? We just did. And, as far as I know, that day not a one of us was arrested or ticketed. We did a journey around the city blocks engaging with people and objects as if we had been transported from a distant past into the middle of this strange and bewildering place - a modern city. The reactions and responses were priceless and still fuel my creativity to this day. We crawled up on statues, went into StarBucks, came out again, and went and hung out with various business-people in the large stone bleachers in the Embarcadero and some laughed, some pretended that we weren't there, others quickly walked away, but most seemed to enjoy themselves and our lively experiment. Complete enjoyment was had by myself, I can say, and could tell also that my mates also had a fantastic time. I would guess there were about 20 of us.
I think I am recalling this now , partly, as it stands out as something we did as a sheerly creative act , during a time of political upheaval and economic stress. That group of people who went out and did this crazy thing together were all scrambling back then to make a living - and some still are today, but, somehow we still - often - had a really great time and truly enjoyed ourselves. Stories are good, you know, because they can remind us of who we are - tise moment and all those that have come before .
Recently I pulled one of my favorite books from the shelf ,
"The Wisdom of Insecurity" by Alan Watts. A pertinent passage just leapt out at me:
"It must be obvious, from the start, that there is a contradiction
in wanting to be perfectly secure in a universe whose very nature
is momentariness and fluidity."
Who knows where we are going or what will happen? How about we start by being where we are, and create together here, the kind of experience we want to have as much as we are able... and see where that takes us? Our biggest resources are ourselves and the planet - we need all that we have and we have all that we need. It's truly a matter of how we go about living now, isn't it? I , myself, am opening more deeply to being here, and will joyously and devotedly bring the music and the creativity in - amidst the grief and pain of loss, as much as myself and my co-creators are capable, 'just because' - it's what we love to do... and in some sense we know that we "must".
The support is here, in so many ways... Thank You! O.D. and the Samurais of Sound
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