Carnivale dancer in the town of Ocozacoutla, March 2011

Palenque 2012 has rolled out into an artistic expression of people coming together to celebrate Mayan Culture,  collaborate creatively and celebrate community as an evolutionary vehicle for change.
One of our intentions for this event is for all participants to experience the value of participating in community that supports creative collaboration and celebrates each others authentic expressions & gifts.
When Heros venture out on mythic adventures they come back with amazing stories and laden with golden gifts…what stories and gifts will YOU bring back?
Come dive with us into the incredibly lush landscape of Palenque 2012 and into mythic realms frequented by fantastic characters, bewildering realities and untold treasures!
Its MYTHIC ADVENTURE TIME!

Preparing for your Mythic Adventure
So onwards and inwards to adventure!!
This event invites us as creative players to step deeper into the realms of MYTHIC ADVENTURE.
What mythic personas might you embody: Hero, Shaman, Priestess, Fool, Bardic Storyteller, Mythic Explorer, Dionysian Mystic, Goddess…?
What gifts of INNER GOLD might we share or discover on our path?
How might we use our INNER GOLD to meet the mythic challenges that might face us?
How might we help our fellow players in wielding their INNER GOLD?
What dreams or visions might we like to explore in the fabulous mythic setting of Palenque?
As EXPERIENCE DESIGNERS, what kind of experiences might we be able to host for others and thus raise the level of  MYTHIC GOODNESS for everyone?
What will we bring back out of the jungle afterwards as CHAMPIONS of CREATOR CULTURE?
How might we embrace THE CREATIVE PROCESS in service to our adventures?

Polly Superstar as Sparkle Pony the Unicorn, co-producer of PALENQUE 2012

For us, ‘Mythic Adventure’ means diving into deeply meaningful, transformational experiences in which we each get to play THE ROLE OF OUR LIFETIME, living as fully as we can dream!
Mythic Adventure: experiences drenched in BEAUTY, filled with AWE, revealing WONDERS that awaken us and MARVELOUS moments that INSPIRE us!

Mythic Adventure: rising together to meet the challenges of our lives by embracing and sharing our INNER GOLD, that inner fire which illuminates and animates us!
For me, embracing ‘THE MYTHIC’ means daring to expand our notion of HOW GOOD LIFE CAN GET, and bravely expanding ourselves to the ECSTATIC POSSIBILITIES of life.
By calling upon our INNER GOLD, we find the means to meet the players, challenges and initiations life presents us with GRACE and MASTERY.
By embodying as MYTHIC PLAYERS, we find ourselves, again and again, waking as both playwright and player, in co-created stories of INFINITE SCOPE.
Are YOU the HERO in the EPIC movie of your life and others?

Into The Gloriously Mythic Unknown!

Professor Violet

‘The true self is found through the ecstatic giving of the self…’
-Anon

Hello my fellow Mythic Adventurers!
On the heels of my last post- THE INNER JOURNEY, i would like to propose the following questions as further means of preparing for our upcoming journey to PALENQUE.

Consider:
Inquiry & identification of our INNER GOLD as the basis for a Mythic Currency.

So what do i mean by ‘our INNER GOLD?’
Currency is usually thought of as a competitive means for establishing what is yours and what is mine.
Consumer culture encourages us to hoard gold, literally.
When we think of an ‘economic exchange’ we usually think about money for goods or services.
The ritual of exchange is ripe for all sorts of possibility but has currently reduced to a soulless act that devalues and depersonalizes the parties involved.
Lets reinvent this!
Swap out the old gold standard for a radical new one that honors our INNER GOLD.
What if we embraced a currency that celebrates what WE value as a community: our gifts, connection, sharing, principles, visions, goodwill…
Currency which supports moments of sharing;  shared visions, wisdom and dreams…courageous exchanges of soul truths and heartfelt reflections like petals bursting from fertile darkness
Currency which reveals hidden currents of abundance; creative forms of inner riches imbued with magical intent
Currency invested with the ‘spirit of the gift’…a spirit which inspires each of us to keep our gifts in motion…

Onward and inward to THE INNER GOLD.
Below are a set of questions  designed to help with a process of identifying our inner riches.
How can we write our own bank balance in this new culture, to quote Polly, if we don’t stop to take stock of what we can share?
I live in a constant state of longing to go deeper with my friends and community.
I see SO MUCH INNER GOLD shining in those around me, how could i not want to support them in sharing it?
Make no mistake, there are A LOT of communities around the world today exploring new models of currency. There is a new gold standard being embraced by creative communities today….lets join them in this conversation of practice.
Mythic currency as COLLECTIVE PERMISSION?
Permission to go deeper, past surface level transactions, beyond ego-fear and scarcity…especially if we know that others are also taking stock of their inner gold!
Let these questions reveal and celebrate the INNER GOLD that pools and shines within us:  those visions and intentions we secretly hold, those beautiful truths we’ve witnessed, those emerging superpowers we’re birthing…the gifts we are so eager to share.

Mythic Currency: revealed through a process of self-reflection in which we learn to acknowledge our inner gold and face those things that keep us from wielding it!

A word of encouragement
We are both coward and champion, every one us; in this process of learning how to show up authentically, in owning our true gifts and finding the inner strength to face our shadows.
Do we try to rid ourselves of our inner cowards?
I say NO… let Champion and Coward embrace.
By challenging ourselves to go deeper with others through joined intent and action, our quality of experience in life will increase…and our champion grow stronger.
My vision of community is one in which we not only get to celebrate the good times together, but  where we journey together towards attaining our highest aspirations, often by facing heroic challenges!
Why do we come together when we feel good, or in order to feel good…and then isolate ourselves when we struggle?
It is my champion now that writes this, that reaches out, that wants to take chances despite my fears.
You might say:
‘Buts it scary to open up…i’ve been burned before…how do i know i’ll be safe..what if i look inside myself and i have nothing to offer…what if nobody cares about what i have to share…what will others think about …etc etc.’
I say:
‘Steady on, brave souls, take heart and lets find our courage together! A new dawn wind fills our sails and beckons our mythic ships, onto new lands blossoming within and  onto old, tired worlds- much needing our inner gold! As pirate champions we sail…not with a desire to loot and plunder but with a boldness to renew ourselves and thus the world …in the name of THE MARVELOUS…flying the flag of WONDER’’
…..

Go deep with these questions now and determine how deeply you wish to share later.
Be gentle with yourself and go slow in the process of revelation.
Establishing trust is critical in sharing your gifts.
Maybe all of these won’t speak to you, maybe just a few, thats ok too…
Have fun with the process!

10  Questions in search of the INNER GOLD

PLAYERS
Who are you and what role do you play on the Mythic stage of your life?
Name? Bonus points for origin story & personal manifesto!
(We have many selves…describe one you wish to share now)

ALLIES
Who are the allies that you draw strength, support and inspiration from?
An ally can be any person or being but may also be a quality or concept.

MYSTIC FIRE
What inner gold shines within you? What form of gift does your inner gold take on in the world?

SHADOW MEDICINE
What shadows have you or are you now facing within yourself? What keeps you from your inner gold?

YES,AND…
How do you keep ‘the play’ in motion?
What agreements help you ‘play well’ with others?

THE MYSTERY
How do you embrace uncertainty, experience beyond understanding and that which is beyond knowing? Why would you?

ALCHEMICAL
What affords you the power of transformation/ transmutation in your life?
Share a ritual, practice, ally…anything which helps/has helped you in facing your Shadow Medicine.

PRESCRIPTIONS
Name something that has helped you bring your inner gold into the world.
It could be a practice, an inspiration, an activity, a saying, an ally…etc.

STEWARDSHIP
How do you serve others and/or your community? In what ways do you support others in realizing their inner gold?

INVITATIONS
What invitations do you wish to extend to others? Invitations to journey, to play, to create, to explore, to ….

……

The ruins at Lacanja

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘The journey is the destination’
-PeepShowMiniGolf

Life is a journey, so they say.
With this in mind, i would like to share a few thoughts on ‘the inner journey’ aspect of The Palenque 2012 Mythic Adventure.
Even if you doubt all the woo-woo hype around 2012 as a year of apocalyptic portent, its pretty clear that theres a LOT of change going on right now in the world!
Theres a saying a good friend has taped to his front door-

‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’
-Ghandi

I like this because it implies a radical sense of accountability in how we approach our lives as conscious beings, immersed in times of change.
This sentiment puts you in the drivers seat of your own experience and suggests that instead of whining about the way things are, change yourself and then see what happens!
Quit projecting your shadow onto others and face it within yourself, right?
Is this not essentially the gist of our Hero’s journey in life?
To face our inner shadows and become positively transformed in the process?

So, onto preparing for ‘the inner journey’.
…but first, a bit of colorful exposition.

Into the breach, dear friends
Too many times have i arrived at The Burning Man Festival and made note of how much time people have put time into the vast complexities of their external preparations necessary for survival out in that harsh environment and so little time preparing thier ‘inner self’- intentions, gifts, psyche, agreements with partners, etc.
The vastness of all the external prep is consuming: camp planning, travel preparations, camp supplies, camp structures, food, water as well as endless planning meetings, email lists, email conversations, dealing with clashing personalities…it goes on.
Add an artcar, add another thousand hours of prep.
But wait there’s more: buying blinky toys, packing endless bins of costumes & fancy shoes that will soon be destroyed, searching for hard to find substances, printed lists of dj’s and parties and of course creating and preparing ART.
You might say that preparing ART for the playa can be a very reflective, inwardly focused experience…but most don’t create art to share.
Most people attend this ‘party / spiritual pilgrimage/ appointment with derangement’ having done little if no inner preparation.
Its a very special kind of psychically buggering apocalyptic experience that one suffers out there, one that really does benefit from some tending to ones inner needs.
But what on earth could you prepare you for this kind of journey?
How can you prepare for a jump off a cliff into the scary unknown?
A friend once called this festival ‘Kali’s Playground’, an apt description if you ask me.
If you are lucky, perhaps you’ll stumble across Jim Morrison’s ghost wandering the open playa muttering something about ‘prolonged derangement of the senses’.
If your really lucky, maybe you’ll even stumble out of a dust storm into a hallowed dome to join fellow dehydrated burners looking like Saddhu -HolyMen ghosts covered in fine white playa dust  huddled at the feet of some iconic subculture literary figure in an attempt to glean pearls of wisdom that might guide them on their journey.
Journeys which have now begun to remind them of that vow they made last year ‘to really take the time next year to set some intentions before their burn’
Intentions and vows which always get forgotten in the frenzy and hub-bub of pre festival preparations.
In the first few days of the event, after everyone has arrived and the camps have been built, after those first elated bike rides out onto the open playa to check out the ‘big art’…there sets in that universal question on the lips of every participant-
‘now what?’
Friends and community sitting around in various states of derangement, passing snacks and cocktails, murmuring the same old lines-
‘hey, do you know whos DJ’ing tonight?
‘hey, did you see that big metal art thingy, i hear its gonna blow up…

Embrace your fire consciously or get burned
And yes, though the ‘road of excess does lead to the palace of wisdom’ and i do love me some  big crazy spectacle as much as the next fun-loving trickster…i’ve also seen the destruction that comes from unconsciously courting Dionysian frenzy.
When we come across that ‘what now?’ moment in our journeys, do we simply pile on more substances, louder music, more crazy making spectacles and crazier costumes???
OR, do we do the ‘counter intuitive thing’ and remove ourselves from the fray and take a moment to still ourselves, be quiet, find a still point and reflect?

I can remember years ago, towards the end of my first Burning Man trip, literally RUNNING out into the empty desert driven to escape all the intense experiences i had piled one on top of the another.
My psyche was bent over backwards from the pressure of too much stimulation, too much emotional complexity, too much NOISE.
In a desperate need to retain some sense of stillness and sanity, i sought refuge ….and found myself sitting far out in the empty desert….and able to hear myself breathe again.
I remember that moment like it was yesterday, sitting in the cool evening air with the sun setting behind purple mountains, the festival glimmering miles in the distance like some weird mirage.
So amazingly, blissfully, quiet.
It was then, after letting all the noise and crazy chaos drain out of me, that i could see my inner journey that was unfolding, as if for the first time.
As i sat there,  i watched scenes of my insane week prior replaying, unfolding scene by scene, I saw how the consequence of my actions played a part in my play.

‘Quality of play is a direct reflection of HOW we play’
-James Carse, Finite and Infinite Games

I saw myself sometimes as a conscious player in my experience, but mostly stumbling about as a pawn being moved solely by the desire for more and more intense sensation, stimulus and novelty.
That day i became intensely aware of the value of tempering ones’ outer journey with that of inner reflection.
That day my personal journey shifted from being outwardly driven to  inwardly informed.

It was then that i was able to step back into my unfolding play in a much more conscious way.
This festival and many like it invite us, as Mythic Players, to step deeper into our experiences as Heros’, Shamans & Priestesses all…invite us to dive within our own mysterious depths and face what shadows and wonders await us.
It is a fact of life that we all have shadows to face, challenges to meet, Minotaurs to encounter in the depths of our labyrinthian psyches….
When we gather in the presence of such collective creative fire, it is absurd to think that the light that results will not reveal Gods, Goddesses, Demons, treasures and shadows.

I’ve lost friends to the other side via the destructive forces that attend these celebrations and paths.
I myself have suffered needlessly through lack of proper preparation and respect for ‘the journey to come’.
I’ve hurt others by wandering blindly on my journeys and been hurt by others also smashing into me.
I hope that my journey honors the memory of those that have lost their way.

So now what?
After all the immense preparations, time, energy and resources attendees expend to make these sort of epic journeys…to then sit around asking the question of ‘now what’…is one that begs addressing.
I’ve been in this position too many time to count and every time…i’ve always thought to myself-
’what tools could keep the adventure moving forward and inward, could assist us right now in tapping the mysteries & moments we’ve come seeking?
How can we prepare ourselves to have the most deeply meaningful and rewarding journeys possible?
At the BMAN fest and in many other creative communities, we are encouraged not be spectators, but rather-players on a playing field, participants in ‘the play’.
I believe that the BMAN festival and many of these participatory, creative, gift sharing experiences exist as a manifestation from our collective desire to embody our inner heros, shamans, priests, goddesses, magicians, poets and whatever magickal avatars you feel waking up inside you!
These festivals, as celebrations of the creative spirit, challenge us to step into the  mythic aspects of our lives.
THROUGH play and the sharing of our gifts, we are coming into a greater mastery of what it is to truly LIVE as embodiments of unlimited possibility.

The Mythic Adventure of Palenque 2012
At Journeys end, when we’ve all returned from our adventure to the jungles of southern Mexico, what stories will we bring back?
Sure, we might have some great trinkets we found at the markets, but what of the true gifts, the soul discoveries, triumphs and epiphanies that want to flow through us?
Are these not the gifts that will inspire and fuel us and others on yet more EPICALLY MYTHIC ADVENTURES?
The Mythic Adventure Totem areas and Mythic Questions are designed to help each of us in diving deeper into our own journeys.
The 7 areas of Mythic Adventure, each with their distinct vibe and focus, provide a landscape for our inner journey.
They create an intentional container for our inner experience to occur.
Mythic questions in these areas will further assist  in preparing our stories, intentions, gifts and anything else that might be pushing on us from inside, that might want to be faced..or shared…or celebrated!

“An important part of any sacred activity is marking a boundary between the sacred and non-sacred. It’s important to build a container so the action is conducted inside sacred space,”

-Lewis Hyde, author of The Gift and Trickster Makes The World

So here’s an example of how the Mythic Questions might work:
In The HUMMINGBIRD area, which focuses on VISION and INSPIRATION, the MYTHIC QUESTION CARDS might ask something like-
‘What inspires you? How do you court inspiration? What activities help you to feel inspired? What blocks you in receiving inspiration? Have you found ways to face these blocks?’

It is our hope that these questions will generate more questions of Mythic Inquiry, as well as inspire deep sharing and spirited group exploration.
Everyone that participates will probably feel drawn to one or more specific Totem areas, this is welcome as it will help to create a diverse playing field!
In the preparation for  inner journeys, we are humbly invited to consider wisdom held by mystics, alchemists, shamans, elders and so many traditions informed by those that have gone before us down these roads…
There are some really sound and helpful tools that can assist us on our journey!

In closing
I am deeply grateful to the many elders, guides, mentors and tricksters that have patiently offered their wisdom to me over the years. Wisdom that more often than not fell on the deaf ears of this incredibly egoic and unwilling fool.
Wisdom  that can aid and guide us on our inner journeys as we explore the bewildering worlds of Mythic Adventure.
Lets share what works for us, lets share what has been gifted to and through us, with the intention of supporting each other in having the deepest, most meaningful and rich Mythic Adventures possible!
These shared experiences,  which ‘support the flow of gifts freely amongst one another’,  remind us of the true meaning & value of community and enliven us in ways that feel really, really good.
On these sorts of expeditions…and perhaps in life in general, It seems that when we balance tending to our inner journey equally to the outer adventure, both enliven the other.

Will we be dragged, kicking and screaming, like ignorant petulant children, refusing to embrace the realities of the journey that stretches before us?
or,
Will we take the time to prepare our Mystic Fires, enter the gates of Mythic Adventure consciously and thus be filled with the strength to venture forth – warmed by compassion’s imagination and the light of dawn light on our brows?

Together then, let us celebrate and support the inner journeys of each of our fellow Heros-Heroines, fools, priestesses, poets, shamans and mystic dandies…and see how good OUR COLLECTIVE Story can get.

…..

Notes:
Here’s an interesting breakdown of The Hero’s Journey step by step:

http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html

The Palenque 2012 Experience Designers Notebook presents tips, techniques and reflections on how to create your own inspiring social experiences from Professor Violet, one of SF’s most illustrious Puppeteering Mustachioed Dandy experience designers and proponents of CREATOR CULTURE.
In this ongoing series of posts i will sharing my love for experience design, relate behind-the-scenes observations on PALENQUE 2012 and explore what makes for awesome, inspiring, life-changing, wildly creative, participatory, surprising and TRANSFORMATIONAL experiences!

CALL FOR HELP
If you are interested in helping us to spread the word, calling people who are coming and asking them to donate, then please let us know!

Palenque 2012 — IndieGoGo  www.indiegogo.com A mythic adventure in the jungles of Southern Mexico, Spring Equinox 2012

Confessions of an experience design addict

‘…more for you is not less for me, but  more for you is more for me too!’
Charles Eisenstein- Sacred Economics

I’ve often wondered if perhaps this selfish desire to engage our world on a more first hand basis for the sake of increasing OUR OWN quality of personal experience is actually a component of evolution working through us without us even realizing it.

Palenque 2012: a social experiment in radical collaboration
We invite everyone participating in this upcoming Mythic Adventure to put on their experience design hats and join us in crafting the ultimate experience together!
More players on the playing field, more fun!
The root meaning of the word ‘community’, derived from the root ‘com munus’  means literally- ‘to share gifts freely amongst one another’,
People coming to together to share their gifts and in support of the conditions necessary for these gifts to be exchanged.
We’ve seen  THOUSANDS of people transform and move into a deeper level of awareness as a result of their participation in community and the willingness to share their gifts.
By ‘gifts’ i mean  creativity, enthusiasm, ideas, goodwill, resources, wisdom…things both tangible AND intangible.

So why all the fuss about Spring Equinox?
If you’ve studied anything the Maya Elders are actually saying right now, its all basically the same thing-
‘Prepare for the Dawn.’
Call me a pathological optimist, but i’m all about tuning into DAWN SPRING ENERGY right now.
I want to go into this new year tuned into the sparking energy of RENEWAL, INSPIRATION, RADIANCE, LUMINOSITY and TRUE WARMTH.
On March 20, we will observe the constellation of Orion rising on Spring Equinox in Palenque, Mexico and celebrate a DAWN of unique significance to the Maya people.
To tell you the truth, i don’t fully know WHY its significant, but luckily we’ll have all sorts of amazing educated experts tuning us into the whole dealio.
(Something about the resurrection of their spiritual leader buried in the Tomb of Inscriptions, a Corn God, lots of stuff about ORION and the stars being in alignment and such! )
To be clear, the Maya people hold no END TIMES prophecies nor predict the end of ANYTHING except one of their ‘long count’ calendars..and if they have ANY message about a  ‘return’ , its to that of a simpler way of life lived  in harmony with Nature and each other.
As much as i love watching epic disaster movies about the end of the world, i have to admit, i’m pretty tired of all this END OF THE WORLD nonsense.

Creator Culture is on the RISE!
What happens when you get a movement of experience designers all collaborating?
You catalyze a Creator Culture- a culture which is currently  emerging all around us.
As it rises, so too does the invitation for everyone to become experience designing, culture building, tool sharing and creatively engaged players!
Creator Culture does not reject Consumer Culture, no;  it has the ability to digest and integrate old FINITE games (defined by winners and losers) into a NEW INFINITE GAME.
Creator Culture welcomes everyone into the play, encourages all of its players to become thouroughly engaged.
CREATOR CULTURE recognizes the latent seeds of renewal and goodness everywhere, in everything and in everyone!
When we are creatively engaged we are filled with a life affirming desire to connect to ,  purify and share those expressions and perceptions that fill us with delight, fill us with life.
We learn through direct playful experience, that which truly serves us and gratefully release that which no longer does.
I’ve witnessed  many people’s lives transform as a result of their direct experiences on the playing field of ‘The Infinite Game’, coming ever deeper into their authentic expression as beings.

And in closing…
Palenque 2012 is an artistic expression of our passion as experience designers for bringing people together in the presence of this ‘sparking fire’  to create, celebrate and evolve.
We invite you to join us, even if you cannot make it down to Palenque, in this dialogue.
We invite you to consider that YOU have more of a impact in the world around you and especially to those immediately close to you, than you realize.
We especially invite you to consider yourself the architect of your OWN incredible experiences and join us we move together as journey mates into the promise of a new year together.
As experience designers, let’s get dirty in the rich soil of direct experience…where practice tempers theory and we can share openly and freely  wisdom/ ideas/ visions/ dreams/ creativity and solutions. By engaging this fire that burns within or even by being willing to seek it out- we begin to glow, alight and inspire others to do the same!

So let’s be brave and dare to witness the light that burns within us.

Every little gift, act, gesture, compliment, idea, smile and moment of support we share is an expression of that sparking fire, illuminating, inspiring, catalyzing- untold mythic adventure!
When we court our innate creativity, share our luminous gifts in whatever form they may take…we become conscious experience designers in this new CREATOR CULTURE.
We begin to see community as a lamp of luminous gifts, a vessel designed to hold CREATION FIRE.
We’ve all tasted it, this mighty ‘yes,and’  social phenomenon of sparking fire joining and illuminating .
Lets fan this good fire!
Lets step into this dawn, the one in which we simultaneously witness our selves, our communities and a CREATOR CULTURE… rising as the spring sun.

It is my informed perception  that it is through the engagement of creative community dedicated to the sharing of EACH of our unique gifts, that our culture may find ever deeper access to the well springs of renewal necessary to navigate these complex and challenging times.
…..

In this ongoing series of posts i will sharing my love for experience design, relate behind-the-scenes observations on PALENQUE 2012 and share very practical tips, tricks and stories on what makes for awesome, inspiring, life-changing, wildly creative, participatory, surprising and TRANSFORMATIONAL experiences!
Why settle for less, right?
‘Let the beauty we love be what we do’
- Rumi

One of my intentions with these upcoming posts is to share my enthusiasm for EXPERIENCE DESIGN and  the various and sundry tips & techniques necessary to do so!

PALENQUE 2012 is a unique chance for us all to share what really turns us on, to reveal our magical gifts, to dream and craft mythic experiences together.
Polly and i met recently at the downtown office for CAUSES.COM where one of their lead development guys asked us what we thought the ‘next big thing’ was in the field of social media and social networking, I offered-  ‘giving people the means to create and share meaningful experiences with one another’.

As a social innovator, event producer and experience designer for over 20 years now…i’ve witnessed at the heart of most communities and creative social gatherings a sort of SPARKING FIRE; a radiance generated by loving connection, by the sharing of gifts and stories, by the creation of ART, by people coming together to celebrate what they love, who they love and how they love to live.
Its an irresistible kind of fire that spreads, a kind of luminosity that sparks between us.
Why not tune into this energy as a presiding theme to our mythic adventure?
THIS is the vibe/energy/theme/feeling upon which i’ve dedicated my efforts towards PALENQUE 2012.
We create the world. We build culture. We are creative. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
We’re all realizing this more and more all the time.
Lets get crafting!
The artful science of experience design  builds in quality the MORE PLAYERS YOU HAVE ONBOARD.
Experience design is a field many of you are versed in as well, though you might not realize it!
I see more and more people every day stepping onto the playing field as experience designers.
Its most inspiring!
ALL of you have experienced what i’m talking about before…perhaps at one of our experiences/events/parties, perhaps out on the playa or elsewhere…but you can feel it… the Infinite Game at work.
You can feel it working first hand, feel that sparking fire present when creative people gather and you leave wanting more…
What’s the INFINITE GAME?
-’The Infinite Game is  one in which every player seeks to increase the quality of play for every other player’
James Carse, INFINITE and FINITE GAMES
CONFESSION: I am an addict of the INFINITE GAME and i’ve been getting others addicted to it for years now.!
This year i believe we are going to see a surge in the spread of regenerative social memes, trends and movements that support creative community participation or in other words- THE RISE OF THE INFINITE GAME.
So why not  get EVERYONE addicted to creating these kinds of experiences for others?

You are an experience designer, yes you.
Whether you realize it or not, everyday you make decisions which affect the quality of your daily journey.
Every day your interactions with others and what stories you reflect upon when you lie in bed at night.
Before you even step out your door in the morning you’ve made decisions which will affect the quality of your day.
Every time you join in any form of social experience you are showing up as collaborator in crafting that experience.
In fact, there is no way you cannot influence your social experience.
There is another  saying that Polly and i  love and live by, one that really sums up why we are so devoted to creative, participation based experiences.

‘Quality of play is a direct reflection on HOW WE PLAY’
James Carse-Finite and Infinite Games

Witnessing people learn and grow from direct participation in community can be inspiring, and getting consciously involved with this process as an experience designer, first hand, can be REALLY inspiring.
There’s nothing quite like it.
Play consciously, live consciously.

END OF PART 1
…………..

The Palenque 2012 Experience Designers Notebook presents tips, techniques and reflections on how to create your own inspiring social experiences from Professor Violet, one of SF’s most illustrious Puppeteering Mustachioed Dandy Experience Designers and proponents of CREATOR CULTURE.

There i was, staring directly at what looked exactly like an eye staring back at me from  the  trunk of a huge CIEBA tree, (The World Tree sacred to the Maya people) that was growing right next to our Maya Bell cabana on the edge of the Palenque ruins.
(The Cieba Tree will mark the Center Totem area of the Palenque 2012 Mythic Adventure.)

hat first night after visiting the ruins, i felt a heavy pressure on my consciousness.
It felt very similar to the initiation energy of deep shamanic works i have experienced before and put me in a similar trance state.
I couldn’t place it at first and thought that perhaps it was physical at first, and went to lie down in the cabana.
I let Polly know i did not feel well and that i needed to rest, as she was sitting in the hotel lobby eating area.
The cool night started to descend outside and  jungle sounds drifted into the little tiki hut.
Birds, monkeys, insects, frogs and lizards all weaving their song together.
The fan whirring over my head put me further  into a deeper trance state, while i  breathed deep and center myself in order to figure out what this heaviness i was experiencing was all about.
After emptying myself and allowing the energy of the day to wash back over me, i immediately felt the presence of The Vision Serpent, one of my main allies.
The ally of mine who sits on my altar, who looks over my work and assists me with learning to listen, to open, to evolve.
As i breathed in and out intentionally, I could feel my consciousness being stretched like a ribbon, like i was smoke drifting over water that flowed through time.
In this river were the presence and faces of people and ancestors, beings known and unknown to me.
I felt welcomed and invited to open up further, though it felt a bit like dying or passing across a great divide.
Though a bit scared by the experience, i knew i was being guided somehow and intuitively tuned into the tree outside, asking for its help to understand what i was experiencing.
This tree which stood outside, sacred Ceiba to the Maya people represented their Tree of Life.
The tree seemed a perfect map for the flow and river of time upon which consciousness can travel and merge, branches from the heart of humanities consciousness flowing and branching out, over time, over families and lands traveled, cities rising and falling, birthing and dying..but always connected by one great trunk, one great root to the Earth.
I felt my ancestors, my parents and family in this time period and then onto my family in times past.
I felt my various lineage bloodlines also present, ones not entirely human, also close and drifting, floating on this river, this tree of consciousness.
I remember glancing out the window briefly in my altered state and seeing the crescent of the moon nestled perfectly in the very tip top of the tree, smack dab in the middle of the Ceiba tree.
A good sign, i thought to myself and smiled.
Suddenly i was recalling a potent memory: a moment where i stood outside my uncles house in Tennesee, when my grandmother was passing from this world. I had flown back to Tennessee to be with them and her when she was close to passing on.
Taking a break from sitting at her side, I was called to go outside and smoke a cigar in honor of my ancestors, to ask that they might assist me and my family at this time of loss and transition.
Apparently, right before i arrived, my grandmother had mentioned in her delirium something about ‘cigars, cigars…’
My aunt and uncle told this to me when i had mentioned that i brought one to smoke, not really knowing why. My uncle told me that night that my great grandfather, ‘Bubba’ or ‘Dads’, as everyone called him..was never seen without his cigar.
When i got outside, standing in the moist Tennessee air at dusk, looking out over the marshy fields to distant forest..much to my surprise and delight, i saw a great many  fireflies starting to dance and weave in the low grass. I could hear my grandmother’s labored breathing upstairs from where i stood, from out a second floor window, and could feel my relatives and ancestors close.
So here i was smoking a fine cigar in the moist Tennessee evening air, watching the fireflies all around me and feeling my ancestors so very close at hand, feeling their presence so comforting and assuring. It was the first time in my life i really could FEEL them close and could sense them so present. It was if their spirits were embodied in the fireflies lights, dancing lightly in the darkening misty air.

So here i was on the cabana  bed, recalling this experience i had of connecting with my ancestors on that night in Tennessee, smoking my cigar to honor the Levkoff family throughout time and pray for strength and grace for my grandmothers passing….
When suddenly, Polly bursts in the cabana door, the biggest grin and look of wonder on her face-
‘you have to come outside, immediately, you have to see something really amazing!’
We went outside and much to my amazement, out on the finely cut Maya Bell resort lawn,
… fireflies were dancing and weaving in the cool evening air! This was the first and only time we saw fireflies on our entire trip, and the first time Polly had EVER seen fireflies!

I was dumbstruck at the perfect synchronicity of this moment, absolutely, completely blown away!
I smiled inwardly, thanked the Vision Serpent, The Ceiba Tree and the flowing river that welcomes us as cherished strands in the great tapestry of life…

60 days to go!
Are you going to join us for this adventure of a lifetime? A gorgeously free-form collaboration in the verdant jungles of Southern Mexico bringing together iconoclasts, seekers, wizards, artists, prophets, geniuses, time travelers and karmanauts from all over the world.

Are YOU interested in participating by volunteering some time in the countdown to the festival? We need a few organized people to help with coordinating. If that sounds like fun to you then please email us now
The website has undergone a massive overhaul in the last couple of days and has tons of new information including details on how to participate and who’s coming.

Just to be clear- there is no Maya prophecy about the end of the world. It was invented by westerners. We gather to celebrate Spring Equinox, and the rising of the constellation of Orion in the East, honoring this great cultures love of cosmic alignment.

Mythic Adventure:
We are opening the door to a veritable smorgasbord of Mythic possibilities! Our adventure will be organized into seven areas of exploration. Click here to get those creative juices flowing.
Participate:
In order to pull of this crazy plan we need everyone who is coming to participate. Click here for the various opportunities to participate and let us know where you want to plug in.
Who’s Coming:
We have had over 180 responses to our invitation. At this point the exact list of who’s coming is still a little nebulous. To see a selection of the amazing people who have signed up check out the Who’s Coming page

Fundraising:
Check out our fundraising page where you’ll find details about our featured presenters. We’ve got amazing anthropologists, archaeologists,botanists and guides. You can sponsor a speaker or feature specifically or just make a general donation to the event.

Still not sure if you’re coming? Watch this: