A Different Kind of Sabbatical
Barren desert. Brilliant art. And a unique community bond like no other on earth. These are but a few of the qualities that make Burning Man an annual two-week pilgrimage for Arketype co-principal, Paul Meinke, and Arketype controller, Kurt Anderson.
 Burning Man is a culture of experience, one that embraces differences, individuality, and free spirits of all walks. The nearly indescribable event is held in the middle of desolate Nevada and provides the perfect environment for exploration and discovery. It also serves as a wellspring of creative rejuvenation and an avenue for self-expression for 35,000 other journeymen and women each year.
For one full week, this impermanent society functions on its self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Gifts are exchanged, and bartering is conducted, but there is no vending of any kind, making money useless. Ironically, this rejection of commercialism and capitalism is precisely how Meinke gains a fresh perspective on marketing and communications.
“Burning Man eliminates the fear of being different,” explains Meinke. “And being different is an essential and critical ingredient in establishing brand identity in today’s marketplace. With fear removed from the equation, it becomes easier to open up to challenged-based answers and to develop a full breadth of solutions to everyday problems.”
One event problem that requires both extemporized solutions and prudence is basic survival. Burning Man participants must carry in all they need to live out the week in the bone-dry climate, and pack it out again. Anderson finds the stark contrast to the ordinary 9-to-5 routine to be a great escape and adventure.
“Nothing is provided for you,” explains Anderson. “There is no Burning Man hotel, no car rental, no restaurants. You live by your wits, making sure you have everything you need, and always bringing extras for participants you’ll meet. Everyone shares and helps one another.”
Anderson recalls a gentleman who was in need of an electric grinder when his car broke a wheel bearing during last year’s event. “It did not take him long to locate someone with a complete welding studio, his own generated electricity, and the right grinder needed for the job,” says Anderson.
In addition to the camaraderie, both Anderson and Meinke say that the weeklong experience stimulates newfound respect for the power and beauty of nature. The desert conditions can be unforgiving and often test one’s resolve.
“One of the greatest rewards is surviving and participating,” Meinke says. “Last year’s weather proved to be very challenging as we experienced the worst dust storms on record in the event’s 29-year history. By Wednesday, I wanted to go home, but nothing doing…you stay at least until the man burns on Saturday night!”
 Burning Man gets its name from the week’s end bonfire in which a wooden and neon effigy is burned. Artists can also place any artwork created during the week into the fire, further underscoring the ephemeral nature of creativity.
“The ability to share and participate in other people’s ideas of art, politics, and lifestyles is truly rewarding and enriching,” Anderson says.
Meinke and Anderson will make their fourth, soul-satisfying trip to the desert this August. Meinke believes that return trips help to refresh both his personal and professional viewpoints. In the meantime, he strives to keep the Burning Man spirit of creativity, energy, and community alive throughout the year by signing all his correspondence with, “Live the Playa year ‘round.”
“It helps keep you there,” Meinke says. “It reminds you of a new human spirit or perhaps the same old spirit just packaged differently. It’s a reminder that the different and the unusual make life interesting and beautiful.”
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