How Raving has Made Me More Confident in Myself

By Hanna Readman There is much more to raving and going to music festivals than just music and dancing. My raving experience began only a few months ago in September 2018,...

By Hanna Readman

There is much more to raving and going to music festivals than just music and dancing. My raving experience began only a few months ago in September 2018, when my friends dragged me to a show to see some guy called Nghtmre. I walked into that with absolutely no clue who he was or what to expect, but I walked out as a whole new person. Ever since that first night, I have grown in so many ways. Not only has the horizon of my music taste expanded, but my social skills and confidence have grown as well. The welcoming, affectionate environment at these events has allowed me to become someone who is no longer afraid to introduce myself to a stranger or to dance without fear of judgment.

@drew_norby22 and @hannareadman before Gryffin

Going to these events has helped me grow and become more comfortable with myself and I am now more willing to take the initiative to introduce myself to someone new and make a new friend. Growing up and until recently, I was always terrified by the idea of having to meet someone new. I was struck with the fear of anticipated judgment and dreaded going places without someone I knew by my side. Raving changed that for me; when you’re in that expanse of a crowd at an event, you’re surrounded by not only the friends you came, with but the hundreds, if not thousands of people who only bear love and welcoming energy. By the time I realized this I started to reach out to new people and as a result, I have left those venues having met dozens of new smiles and made the friendships I came in with even stronger.

@miavellaj and @hannareadman before small Gryffin event

Once I realized that nobody at these events was here to judge me I sparked up conversations with as many people as I could, and just as I learned, nearly everybody had something positive to say about me or I was able to easily talk with. Some stay brief and some end with exchanged social media accounts and still keep in touch with to this day. Meeting people at these festivals became a highlight of my experience and is something I look forward to as I buy my ticket to my
next event.

@allytiryakioglu in FRW before Illenium

Something I learned that was an easy way to spark interactions with new people was trading kandi! Getting together with friends to make them and listen to good music is one amazing part of the experience. The next part of the experience is trading your kandi with others and meeting some of the most genuine people in the crowd. Trading kandi is then followed by the biggest hugs and smiles from so many people which then makes me smile. There is a place for everyone at these events whether it is a huge music festival or a small indoor event. There is no
other experience like this!