the 10 principles for dummies
The Wheel of Principles illustrated by the author
I lost my burginity in 2014, turning up to Burning Seed ImagiNation with so much stuff it took two car trips from Sydney to fit my kid in (this is not recommended). I didn’t know anybody and I had never put up a pup-tent…never mind the eight-man clusterf#%k of strings and poles that became our home for the week at Red Earth City.
I discovered Burning Seed while dreamscrolling the Burning Man website; at the time I couldn’t imagine ever being able to get there. Then the Regional tab caught my eye, and I thought ‘oooooh aaaah there might be a burn in Asia’…wait, what? Burning Seed is near Wagga Wagga?!
There’s nothing that can truly prepare you for your first experience of a Burn, you have to just read the Survival Guide, brace yourself and get in it. Then few things will work as planned. But we’ve all been there. We’ve all been burn virgins aka Burgins, and the vast majority of participants are more than willing to support each of you through this experience.
You might see a lot of comments stating emphatically that Burning Seed is not a festival or a doof. It may be called an event, a gathering, a celebration or an experience. The truth is, Seed can be any and all of those things depending on what you make of it.
So what differentiates Burning Seed from a festival or a doof? It is an official regional event of the Burning Man Project and that means it operates under the guidelines of the Ten Principles of Burning Man (or simply the10P).
When you are new to the Burning Seed community, the chatter on socials can be bewildering. But if you are mindful of the 10P, everything can go chaotically smoothly. Seed will be way more fun than you can conjure by yourself, it can be way more challenging than you expect, and you might just grow as a person.
At other Burning Man regionals around the world, an 11th Principle is sometimes included; Each One, Teach One. So in the spirit of EOTO, I gift to you The Ten Principles for Dummies. Nobody burns in the same way and very few practice the 10P perfectly. All of this is corruptible, corrupted and perhaps meaningless in the best possible way. The 10P are like the tried and tested recipe, and this 10P for Dumdums is my unique spice mix.
1. Wear What Makes You Happy & Use Your Best Words
If you want to be a fish, a robot or a garden variety human that is entirely OK with almost everyone. If and when someone calls you out for a faux pas only some understand, all you need to do is listen to their point of view and change your behaviour if they have moved you to do so…or just keep calm and carry on.
Similarly, use your best words and say whatever you want, but that doesn’t mean the community will take your crap. Radical Self-expression is tempered by Civic Responsibility. And never forget that Burning Seed has a No Dickheads policy!
2. Don't Try to Sell Shit to Other Burners
Unless someone consents to being sold shit in places like Burner Classifieds or walks into your actual place of business, leave your business cards at home. Yes money is a reality, and yes you need resources to burn bright; but do not spruik, market, solicit, sell or buy anything at a burn or on burner forums or through repurposed mailing lists from fundraisers. No matter how great the leggings or shamanic actualization workshop looks, Decommodification preserves the experimental core of the project and elicits deep collaboration and creative problem solving. The only exception is ice...made from water…it’s a critical health and safety inclusion and can be purchased twice a day for the duration of the event. Don’t talk about the coffee at the Nevada Regional..it was a mistake.
And don’t barter - things either belong to you or they are a gift. No transactional nonsense.
3. Paddle Your Own Canoe
Don’t be a Drainbow. The burn functions best when nobody has to waste valuable art making/dancing/learning/cuddling/slapshotting time getting other people’s shit together. Conditions can be really difficult at times so prepare well to joyfully participate in the miseries of burning. Read the Survival Guide. Then read the Survival Guide again. Radical Self Reliance does not mean you can’t reach out for support when you really need it, but the peeps at Gate are truly mean and impervious to promises. If you haven’t got enough water and food with you on arrival, they will turn your sparkly chariot around. Earning the title “Sparklepony” is not a compliment.
4. Muck In
If something needs doing, do it. If you can’t do it alone, find other do-ers to get on board and all of a sudden amazing things happen. Do not place orders for your dreams to come true. Communal Effort results in a better burn for everyone and people will like you more.
5. You Are a Citizen (be a good one)
Don't believe the titles, nobody is your boss here. Your mum and dad aren’t here to tell you what to do (unless you are under 18 and actually with your primary carer). YOU are responsible for your actions and their impact on your community. Civic Responsibility keeps everyone safe while they do ridiculous things.
6. No One Gets Left Out
Exceptions to this can be triggered if you don’t read the Survival Guide, and you don’t have a valid ticket or can’t show Gate that you can paddle your own canoe and stay hydrated and have enough nutrition for the duration of the event or you don’t have a wristband or you do horrible things…in these cases you could be Radically Excluded. Radical Inclusion means there are no velvet ropes separating VIPs from other mortals - camps or events that try this will suffer horrendous pranks and good old fashioned shaming. There are also real consequences like not being placed the following year.
7. Muck Out
Do not leave anything you brought with you behind and better yet, take other people’s LNT mistakes away if you notice them. It’s a great idea to always have a snaplock bag on you to pick up MOOP whenever you find it and please take it home to be disposed of responsibly. Don’t even think about wearing glitter, sequins or feathers; you will get sideways stink eyes galore. Biodegradable glitter is not a thing on the Paddock either.
8. The Power of Now
The days go by fast, they are action packed and the moments are never repeated. Don’t hesitate. Join the Bunnies as they go marching by! Grab the mike at karaoke! Eat the grilled cheese sandwich at 4 am. Just when you think things can’t get better, they do, so…
9. Get Amongst It
...but if someone else is part of your cunning plan, always ask them first. Participation is underpinned by consent. The entire event is run by volunteers so do a shift, or help plan the things year round! Make an art host an event. Just do the things.
10. Plan to Give More Than You Decide to Take
Living in the Gifting economy can change the way you understand the world. Bringing a little extra doesn’t have to be material; listening is a gift, sharing your skills can make a big difference, volunteering to make Seed happen can start today. Giving feels great, but the most surprising thing I found out at my first burn is how hard it can be to receive with no expectation of a return, we are conditioned to be transactional. The greatest gift is discovering what you actually have in surplus when you get a break the cash economy. When money is useless we can all be ballers!
I hope you enjoyed the Ten Principles for Dummies. But you’re no dummy.
See you on the Paddock, you shiny thing!
About the author:
Madeline (Havoc) Fountain has been participating in Burning Seed since 2014. She made some bad art on the Paddock as a shy and clueless noob and has had her fair share of trials and tribulations; but Havoc went on to become a Theme Camp Co-lead (Kids’ Camp), has volunteered on Comms (2016 and current), raised some hell and affected change, found her tribe and is now working hard on the Restructure Committee and for ARTery. In 2015 Havoc enrolled in art school following her transformational Paddock experience and graduated in 2018 with first class honours. She is currently a candidate for a Master of Art Therapy and considers the Burning Man Project a crucible for positive change, social justice and personal growth through collaborative engagement with art.
