By Maureen (momo_dubz)
It’s so crazy to think that six months ago our lives were relatively normal. We were all making payments on our layaway plans, planning outfits, finalizing travel plans and making kandi in preparation for the 2020 festival season. Then WHAM, coronavirus said NOPE.
So here we all are now, espresso depresso about missing our beloved festival traditions. Personally, I’m not doing too bad coping with no festivals… most of the time. Of course I still have my days where I break down crying or just start screaming “I just wanna go to a festivallllll” in places I probably shouldn’t be screaming it. So I have my little list of how I fight my rave withdrawal blues to share with you all.
- Do some exploring (and mini photo shoots) in your state
Although I’m not traveling for festivals, I’m still trying to get out for little stay-cation adventures in Ohio. It’s kinda fun to be a tourist close to hope to find a new appreciation for the world around you. What I realized as I was doing this exploring is that there’s an infinite amount of possibilities for mini photo shoots outside of my bedroom and backyard! Sometimes I just wear my favorite rave gear out and the perfect backdrop finds me. Other times I coordinate outfits to the places I’m going so they complement one another. It’s a fun way for me to keep outfit planning and making fun content without festivals!
- Throw your own mini festival
Get a handful of your rave fam together for a rave at home! Start by curating your own “lineup” by creating a playlist on Youtube with the plethora of live sets that are available. Then set the stage in the living room with some fun lights and tapestries. Make some festival food favorites to serve, plan an outfit (or two), set up a fun area to take photos and get ready to rave! If you’re more of an outdoorsy person, consider taking your mini fest to a local campground for the weekend.
- Step out of your cosmetic comfort zone
Between fellow rave babes on Instagram and Youtube tutorials, there are endless possibilities when it comes to learning new tricks and techniques for festival looks! Play with some blacklight body paint, test out that crazy glitter and body gem combo you’ve been swooning over or try your hand at new rave hairstyles with bright colored extensions. Experiment with your look a few times and you’ll be a pro at it for the 2021 festival season!
- Create some art to honor your favorite fest
Take that sad energy and turn it into something positive! Festival themed art projects are one of my favorite past times and the best part about it is that there’s an activity for everyone! Beef up your kandi supply or try a more complex bead design. Grab some white t-shirts, sheets or hoodies and get a few friends together for a tie dye party. If you’re super in tune with your artistic abilities, try painting or digitally illustrating a scene or symbol from your favorite festival. You can even send the artwork to FRW and have it made into a towel, blanket or face mask!
- Find a fun way to display your wristbands
A few years ago, I turned to a few of the FB groups I’m in looking for creative ways to display all of my festival wristbands. Some fellow ravers put their wristbands, welcome guides and photos in shadow boxes or picture frames. Others simply had them hung on a cork board. But one of my favorite ideas was to create a dream catcher with them. Another cute idea I came up with recently was to create my own festival plushie, complete with rave gear, pins and wristbands.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJMVXR1a/
- Connect with new gal pals all over the country
I can’t begin to tell you how much I value the relationships I have the chance to develop with fellow rave babes over the internet lol my mom still gets so confused when I tell her I’ve met some of my closest rave friends on FB or Insta. I’ve made so many great connections with girls all across the U.S. on Instagram by just giving them a follow and striking up a conversation. I did a massive #wcw to honor a few of the ladies I appreciate most on my timeline and it helped bring me so much closer to some of them. On Facebook, there’s a group called Female Ravers United that’s also a great way to meet some like-minded ladies that will hype you up and inspire you for days!
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJMVbBCG/
- Make a video compilation of you favorite festival memories
This was such a fun way to reflect on all of the great times I’ve had at festivals in previous years. I went through all my old videos and picked out some footage from my favorite sets of all time then compiled them together on TikTok. If you don’t have a TikTok there’s an app called InShot that can help you put your compilation together. Share with your friends and reminisce on the good times!
- Compile epic playlists
One of my favorite ways to get excited for the next festival (even though it won’t be for awhile) is to make themed playlists. In the past, I’ve made festival playlists featuring the best songs from all the artists on the lineup. If your fave festival’s lineup hasn’t been released yet, consider making a playlist of your tunes from your favorite label or music collective. Or if you’re like me, you can make them in accordance with your moods and activities. Make one full of songs that are good to flow or shuffle too, one to listen to when you’re stuck in your feels and a high-energy one for a workout or when you’re just feelin’ hype!
- Make a mood board of your favorite rave looks
Listen, I brainstorm rave outfits literally every second of the day lol I have planners, Pinterest boards and lists in every corner of my life coordinating and styling outfits. One of my favorite ways to build a look is with a mood board! I made the one above using an app called Canva. It has tons of fun templates to work with that are preset with dimensions Insta stories, feed posts, Facebook cover photos and more so you can share your ideas with your friends. Just upload your photos of your favorite rave fits and accessories and start planning looks for your big return to the festival circuit!
- Stay grateful and positive, this is only temporary!
I know this year has been really tough for all of us with all of the turmoil swirling around in the world. And the extra blow is the fact we don’t get to run away from it all this year for a few days of PLUR and pure happiness at our favorite festivals. One thing I’ve tried to keep in mind during these hard times is that this is only a temporary setback, festivals will be back someday.
In the meantime, we have so many amazing memories to be grateful for. I’ve noticed that by making a gratitude list everyday, my outlook on life stays a lot more positive. Years ago someone told me that you don’t have to wait until the stars align and everything in your life goes right to have a positive outlook on life. True positivity stems from finding peace amidst the chaos and remaining grateful for the life you have instead of the one you don’t. And that really stuck with me.
Hang in there my wonderful rave friends, we can through this together! Just imagine the good vibes that will be radiating when we’re all finally reunited!