*Scroll down to view slideshow*
A few months have passed to allow for some decompression and reflection about this past summer's Burning Man.
The theme this year was Metamorphoses, and I did feel a strongly different sense of myself navigating the experience this time versus the previous four Burns I've attended. There was a calmness, a deeper trusting of the magical fabric of energy connecting the undersurface of the world we perceive. It was easier than ever before to simply BE in the moment and thoroughly enjoy it no matter what I was experiencing - waiting for an unknown amount of time - comically looking for a place to pee - meeting new people - making photographs - feeling alone - feeling connected - etc etc etc. A highlight was to lead a "Photo Jedi Training" out on the playa, teaching a few participants the basics of composition and lighting - just enough to be able to vastly improve the way they approach the act of making a photograph. Although one may have a "point and shoot" camera, things get much more fun when we can move beyond that bleak simplicity and I look forward to teaching more at future Burns.
Our camp, Infinite Love, was an especially potent container within which the members were able to cultivate a deep and profound affection for and connection to one another - to co-create experiences daily that sparked transcendence. That fortified energy of oneness and love certainly soaked into my soul and continues to radiate from my field 12 or so weeks later - I notice it in the phenomenon of seeing "angel numbers" as well as innumerable instances of serendipity, coincidence, uncanny manifestation, and more. The most unlikely events happen with unbelievable frequency, and that's sort of become the norm. Not that I take any of it for granted ... every sprinkle of that magic that lands on me hits with a splash of gratitude and leaves me swooning with appreciation. The psychology of pattern recognition is fascinating, but I'll tell you, there are some experiences that can't be quantified...
In the end, I believe that all art is an act of love, and it is a joy and a privilege to have the opportunity to create art at events like these and share them with others who may never get the chance.
Please enjoy the 2019 additions to my Burning Man / Black Rock City gallery, and I encourage you to share with any of your Burner friends who may appreciate seeing things from another artist's perspective. #INFINITELOVE to you all ;) - Ben Lehman aka Bobcat, Photon Jedi
*Click the Play arrow to watch the slideshow with an energetic soundtrack!*
Not a fan of slideshows? Here's a direct link to the gallery.