The first thing I saw was a brilliant streak of color, floating through the air and surrounded by light. As I got closer, I realized that I had merely seen the tail of a beautiful, twenty-foot dragon and hadn’t even glimpsed its master. Her long blonde hair had been tamed into a ponytail of bubble braids, her clothing sparkled with jewels, and she moved gracefully with her dragon, somehow transfiguring the music into a visual, ever-changing work of art. My feet stopped moving, my jaw slackened, and my hands reached up to touch my cheeks—all of this involuntary—as awe immobilized me. I was not alone in this trance: a crowd had formed around the flow artist,* but she didn’t seem to notice us. She and her dragon were somewhere very far away, in a place where neither our praise nor our judgment could reach them.

The music is, of course, the main attraction at a rave or EDM music festival. But that music is so moving that it inspires the creation of even more art, which self-propagates until the very air vibrates with creativity. Numerous artistic professionals do their part: visual artists create beautiful patterns or lifelike videos to accompany the music and help you understand the story behind it; lighting designers choose colors to enhance emotions and use lasers to intensify musical climaxes; and professional dancers appear in costume to dazzle spectators and move their bodies in a physical representation of the music. Some music festivals also bring in sculptors to craft enormous installations that transport festivalgoers to other lands or bring in sketch artists or painters to create during sets. Beyond these professionals, the attendees or ravers make their own artistic contributions: we put together beautiful outfits to represent our inner world in an outward fashion, we dance as if no one is watching, and we offer kind words and small gifts to strangers. We are inspired to bring our gifts to the table—to do our part to create beauty for those around us.

When you wear an outfit that enhances the environment, when you flow with the music through dance or other flow arts, and when you create Kandi or other gifts at home to share with once-strangers, you are letting musical consumption inspire your creativity. You have hopped out of the proverbial back seat only to discover that you have not been in a car all along, but are on one of those group bicycle trolleys carrying bachelorettes around Nashville: When everyone does their part, we reach our destination much more quickly.

Some veteran ravers begin to dream of contributing more formally, which is why many have gone down the Ableton rabbit hole or can imitate Fred again.. as they finger drum away on a DJ pad at the local afters. Repeat exposure to the vibrant, creative energy of a rave motivates us to snap out of our consumption state into a more creative state of being.

At least, this is my story and the reason why I spent my weekend typing away on my laptop instead of watching “Love is Blind” on the couch (though I do plan to do that too if I have time). My repeat encounters with stunning displays of creativity have filled me with motivation to sacrifice my time and contribute to whatever it is that’s going on here, to try and use words to capture the magic of these experiences. I may not be moving with a beautiful dragon as it soars through the air, in perfect sync with the vibrations of the music, but I can try to use my words to reveal and understand the beauty I’ve experienced. I can create in my own way, using my gifts and the activities that I enjoy.

So—what’s next for you? What do you want to create today?

note: I'm new to writing about EDM and raves. I'd appreciate your feedback in the comments.

I also have a lost lands-inspired piece coming out on Friday and will link my Substack in the comments. Thank you for your time!