What do juggling, dancing, cooking, and drumming, have in common? Flow!!

***Originally Published July 17th, 2023

The sound of twenty or thirty drums collectively beating echoed through the woods, punctuated by an occasional “whoop” and “yeeow!!” 

Meanwhile wubs, reverberations, and twinkling key sounds filtered across from the other side of the forest.

Yet a third sound battled just as effectively for my attention: sizzling grills, a whirring blender, “order in!”, and the soft knocks of knives on cutting boards—the music of a busy kitchen.

I spent a weekend working on Portia’s Diner Food Truck at the PlayThink festival in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. 

I clocked 34 hours in 3 days, ate a lot of food, did some juggling, dancing, and met some pretty unique folks.

Here’s a blog post about it.

“PlayThink is a Summer adventure that will transform your heart.”

More specifically, it's a “flow arts” festival.

And from what I gather the term “flow” does double duty here.

It’s kinda referring to the scientific flow state where one is completely absorbed and unselfconscious is what they’re doing.

But it does more colloquial work–all the “flow arts” look very flow-ey.

There are staffs that you can spin, different juggling objects, balls attached to strings that you can wave around, hoola hoops, slinkys, nunchuck-like things, sticks (where you keep up and play with one stick using 2 other sticks), and a vast array of other “flow toys.” 

There were also aerials, which is balancing and tricking in midair using 2 thick ribbons, hoops, rings, or anything of that sort. 

My impression of flow arts is any continuous movement in free space seamlessly transitioning from moment to movement.

They’re pretty cool looking, especially at night when the toys are decked out in flashing LED’s. 

You can search “flow arts” on youtube and see some examples for yourself.

Music was another side focus of the festival. 

Every night from around 10pm to 2 or 3 in the morning there was a drum circle I could hear from my tent half a mile away. 

Drum circles consist mostly of African style drums like bongos, djembe, cajon, congas, or timbales. I’ve only ever used bongos and djembe myself. 

There’s a leader that starts a rhythm and sets the time signature, and then everybody follows playing whatever beat feels good at that time. 

You can settle into a simple beat and listen to the chorus, or keep playing around and finding beats that sound fun, unique, or mesh particularly well with somebody playing near you.

I tried to embody the spirit of flow by constantly challenging myself with funky rhythms, detaching myself from the results of my effort, and allowing novel ideas to play themselves through me.

On the other side of the festival was a main stage with dj’s playing until 2 or 3 in the morning.

The music was unlike anything I’ve really heard before. 

It consisted of lot’s of different sounds: some electronic stuff, sounds of nature, chill wubs, philosophical intro’s, and sounds I don’t really know how to give words to.

It felt very experimental and a little difficult to dance to at times. 

https://playthinkfestival.com/music-lineup/

Kid-Friendly

One of my favorite parts of the festival was that it was a completely sober and kids friendly event–it was rare to even see somebody smoking a cigarette there. 

And while I love drugs and crazy music festivals, it was really cool to see an event like this designed with kids in mind.

There was a belly dancer showing off her skill around the fire one night during the drum circle. There was a little girl, around 8-10 (idk kids ages shoot me!) who had also been dancing around the fire, and the crowd playing drums was hyping her up!

After the songs were over, I noticed her go up to the belly dancer and tell her really liked her moves. 

I love that shit. 

We spend so much time “educating” kids by teaching them how to do certain things the “right” way, and labeling things as good and bad. 

I think it’s part of our job as role models to continue to dance, play, sing, and show kids that life is still fun even as an adult!

If you’ll forgive me, I’d like to get philosophical with ya for a sec with a quote from Awareness, by Anthony de Mello, that describes spirituality in terms of the child:

““How sad if we pass through life and never see it with the eyes of a child…We’re invited, not to become children, but to become like children… We need to put off the old man, the old nature, the conditioned self, and return to the state of the child but without being a child. When we start off in life, we look at reality with wonder, but it isn’t the intelligent wonder of the mystics; it’s the formless wonder of the child. Then wonder dies and is replaced by boredom, as we develop language and words and concepts. Then hopefully, if we’re lucky, we’ll return to wonder again.” pg 126

As we grow up it takes a little more effort to reclaim that freedom of play that used to come so naturally to us. This is because we become clogged with concepts, labels, and desires learned from those around us.

The crux of living is to let go of all of our education and exist as free beings—like children—and “return to wonder again.” 

Twirling in the air, juggling, spinning sticks, banging random rhythms on drums, and dancing to some funky music are all great ways to meld the discipline that comes with growth and practice with the free-flowing childish nature of spontaneity and wonder.

The Food

I can’t talk about anything without talking about the food. 

Habibi Village had pitas cooked on a round cast-iron dome that was heated underneath; probably by gas. The bread was slapped on top and cooked hot and fast.  

They were then filled with really fresh tasting zaatar–actually the best zaatar I think I’ve ever had–kalamata olives, and melted cheese. 

The freshness and flavors combined into a really high quality and delicious mediterranean snack.

The obligatory festival pizza was provided by FreeWheelin, who made personal 12-inch pies cooked in a dope portable wood heated pizza oven that was hot enough to finish a pie in just a couple minutes.

The sauce was nice and flavorful—well salted, too!

It wasn’t too heavily drowned in cheese. And the cheese that was there was melty and pulled apart.

While the crust was nicely thin and floppy, the outer edges were a little dense and chewy–not the bubble-filled and fluffy crunchy crust you want to see–but overall it was really good pizza.

Then there was Native Taco, a fry-bread booth run by a Mother and her daughter. They served fresh fried bread topped with ground meat, tomato, lettuce, onion, salsa, and sour cream, as well as a sweet variation. 

It was a lot of food for only $10, and while the toppings were simple they were also classically delicious and great on top of the fresh pan fried vessel. 

The Rooster’s Whistle was a small van with an espresso machine serving coffee drinks.

They had pretty good coffee that fueled my caffeine addiction very effectively. 

It didn’t blow me out of the water, but coffee rarely does. 

Last, but certainly not least, was Portia’s Food truck. My generous employer!

Everything she does is Vegan AND Gluten-Free–a really fucking difficult combo to pull off btw (which I learned first-hand making pancakes for my pop-up).

The unique classics here are the BLT, Garden Breakfast Wrap, and pizza’s; she also sold a bunch of other creative wraps and baked goods.

The BLT is made with a teff-flour based wrap that’s cooked to order, a marinated then dehydrated smoky crunchy coconut bacon, veganaise, farm-fresh tomatoes, and local lettuce.

The breakfast wrap is filled with a tofu egg seasoned with kala namak salt, veganaise, spinach, farm-fresh tomatoes, vegan smoked gouda cheese, and a sprinkling of that coconut bacon.

The pizza’s were all done on a gluten free cauliflower crust with a homemade pizza sauce, vegan mozzarella cheese, and a variety of creative toppings depending on your choice of pie.

Finale

I hadn’t worked in the service setting for a couple months as my “work” recently has been sitting in coffee shops clacking away at my computer. 

So I jumped right back in with 34 hours in 3 days working enough to make my Guatemalan mentor proud. 

It was exhausting, of course, but it was nice to be at a festival and have something to do. 

I could wander around and take some classes and experience the event, but I always had this home base to turn back to and get some stuff done.

It was my first flow arts festival and I think I have to learn how to juggle now.

My biggest takeaway, however, was the discovery of a new potential lifestyle: traveling around working food service at festivals. 

Like a freelance cook. 

I’d get to travel all around the country, work for a variety of food vendors, and get free entry to all these dope festivals. 

I’d easily make enough money to support the lifestyle working every other weekend or so. 

Just gotta figure out how to make that happen, now.

For now, adios, y buenos suerte mi amigos!

-Andy