Radical Self-Expression

The founder of Burning Man, Larry Harvey wrote Ten Principles and they serve as ethos and culture for the Burning Man Community.  I delivered a talk about one of the principles called Radical Self-Expression for LED, which is a talk forum similar to TED Talks, only brighter!   LED Talks were started by Matt Meanders from the AZ Burner community (people in Arizona who have attended Burning Man or AZ Burning Man events).  If you are not familiar with any of this, I would encourage you to check it out!   There were a lot of people who came up to me afterward so I thought I would put the transcript here on my blog.  Here it is:

 I would like to talk about Radical Self Expression.  Just think for a moment what that means to you. Does it mean something that you wear?  Or is it maybe a way of being that you express?

 And is that way of being who you REALLY are? 

Sometimes, it is actually not.  Sometimes, the content of one’s expression is radically determined by something other than the self. 

 And I think that is mostly because one can get lost in the everyday experience and forget about self-reflection.

So What is the “Self”?

There are so many ways to talk about the Self.  Philosophers, theologians argued over it, - and I read all that stuff and what it really comes down to is that when you break it down, who you are depends on the vantage point.

So, I am going to take you to some of those vantage points.

 The Self as Subject

 As subject, we use the term “I” or “me” to refer to the self. 

 The Self as Both Subject and Object

And then the self can be both subject and object.   It’s a little weird!

For example, we can identify with the physical body, and call it self.  We say this is MY body, or this is me, when we show someone a photo.  So then the body becomes the object and a possession of the self!

 So, now there is a point of confusion because the self is both the possessor and the possessed!

 The Self as Object in Relation to the Social Experience

Another way to look at the self is in relation to the social experience where the self as subject sees others as objects.

 But not only that, other individuals see us as objects also, but they each have a different version of “who” you are.  

 And so we move in the world through relationship and in response to relationship.

 AND the self is experienced through the absorption of thoughts, beliefs and behaviors of others in a group.

 What that all means is that the “who” of who we are, or our “identity” arises in the process of social experience and the “individual” is simply the result of his or her relation to the process as a whole. 

 Self as Essence 

 So it gets really confusing because one can get lost in the everyday experience.  And then if we get lost, we don’t really know who we are, so we look for validation for our existence with others. 

In our sense of belonging.

As humans, we have a need to belong and we want people to understand us.  So, in our trying to belong, we often focus on the outside world and it’s thoughts of us. 

And I think this is natural because we already come from a place of wholeness and we are just trying to connect.

But if we stay in that outside world and have our focus on what others think, we are not with ourselves and therefore, we can’t really know ourselves.

 So how can we be radically self-expressed if we don’t know who the fuck we are? 

 If you are looking outside yourself to find your sense of belonging and then try to express yourself by wearing a panda bear onesie, or if you try to identify yourself to fit in with the sparkle ponies or the fuzzy coat wearers it isn’t much of an expression of self as it is a conformity.

So, then what IS the essence of who we are? 

The thing about this is, it is there, in stillness. 

It is the moment of not thinking at all.  When we are just there, completely present.

This is the same kind of moment that we have when we are waking or falling asleep.

It is found in the stillness beneath the mind.  In our meditation.

By breathing in and breathing out.

In this solitude, we can find the true self.  When we are present to our essence, we can tap into what is really true for this expression of Being and be authentic to what arises for us. 

But it can be scary.  You must absolutely, 100% be willing to accept yourself, just as you are: Everything.  Everything.

Allow all the parts of you that are weird, to just come out.  It makes you, you.  Whatever is manifesting, at the moment, be true to it. 

It is not about getting accepted. You already ARE accepted because you are part of everything. 

We come from wholeness.   When we really know who we are, then you don’t have to try to be special, because you already are special.  So Be still.  Accept yourself.  Be with yourself.  Express how you manifest in this world, exactly how you are manifesting.   And do it, RADICALLY!