After having such a purely organic, grounding, and unforgettable time at Lightning in a Bottle last weekend, we are still trying to gather our thoughts and process the experience we had. With this festival exposing us to many things to be grateful for, and also many reasons to keep smiling, it was an absolute pleasure to spend 5 days in the desert with thousands of unique individuals.

We had the chance to speak with one of LiB’s original contributors, Dream Rockwell, who helped start LiB, is the founder and executive producer of The Do LaB’s Lucent Dossier Experience, and also manages the heart of the festival- The Lucent Temple of Consciousness. It was an honor to dig deeper and see the festival from the creator’s point of view, and also learn about what this sacred place means to Rockwell herself.

EPIC PRODUCTIONS: The Do LaB is planning on surfacing a new event, Woogie Weekend. Can you tell us more about that?

The Woogie has grown more and more popular year after year, it almost has it’s own audience that comes to the festival to ‘Woogie' and never leaves that stage. So it seems a natural progression for there to be a weekend of Woogie. We are excited to bring more of the festival year round out into the world. We believe that the more we gather together to celebrate our joy and excitement the happier we are. So expect more of LIB year round. We’re coming!

EPIC PRODUCTIONS: The Lucent Temple is an integral part of Lightning in a Bottle. How did the creation of such a sacred place come about?

It’s a huge part of my soul. The need to look deeper into every aspect of life. To explore, to be interactive with it. For me, I needed to be doing that to feel complete, to feel expressed. The boys wanted to build huge artistic structures and that just wasn’t my thing, this was. So together, doing what we do best, doing what excites us, with a group of amazing people who were our friends, we created Lightning in a Bottle. It’s my belief that if we all do what excites us the world will support us and together we will become so fulfilled. The Temple and LIB are just that.

EPIC PRODUCTIONS: What sets The Do LaB apart from other production and event companies, and what motivation do you have to constantly strive to be one of the most unique production companies in the industry?

We really love what we do. I think it shows.

EPIC PRODUCTIONS: What are you guys most excited about for this years Lightning in a Bottle?

Everything! LOL. Do i have to pick one thing!? I’m excited for the new improved Healing Sanctuary - with Oracles and Elixirs and tea ceremonies. I’m excited for the interactive areas and incredible big art, I’m excited for the Sex, Love and Porn Panel - because it’s time we start talking about this epidemic, and i’m really excited for the Lucent Dossier Experience Saturday night!

EPIC PRODUCTIONS: What advice do you have for people who are venturing to Lighting in a Bottle for the first time?

Do as much as you can. There is a lot. Take classes in the Temple and Village. Do yoga in the mornings, dance and get your wiggle out. Come hear speakers, see shows… and most important - Say yes as often as you can, to everything that feels new and exciting.

EPIC PRODUCTIONS: Can you explain this years Permaculture Action Day, and your inspiration and motivation behind it?

We are a culture that has mostly forgotten our earth and our connection to her. We create garbage at an unbelievable rate, we’ve ravaged the rainforest - the lungs of the earth - and polluted our oceans. It’s overwhelming. For our Permaculture Action Day we will be constructing an Outdoor Sustainability Classroom at the closest neighboring elementary school, San Antonio Elementary, in Lockwood, CA. This classroom will be a permanent educational building constructed to teach more sustainable ways of life. It’s just a beginning. But we must begin to think differently and starting with the next generation inspires us.

EPIC PRODUCTIONS: With more and more attendees coming out to LiB every year, how do you guys plan on keeping it one of the world's greenest festivals?

This is an ongoing concern and captures a good deal of our energy in the planning stages. We continue to build our Green Team and educate our attendees, who then educate each new attendee that walks onto the land. Our water is filtered and free (bring a water vessel), the trash is sorted, the venders are mostly veggie and serve on compostable plates. It’s like the Hundredth Monkey theory. We affect each other with what we know and understand. It’s a culture of higher thinking people that build LIB. Together we learn, together we change the world, together we rise.

We were also fortunate enough to sit in on a Q&A with Dream Rockwell herself who further discussed her inspirations and how she got to where she was today. Rockwell had the opportunity years ago to attend Burning Man (what is now considered to be somewhat of the Godfather of LiB) and discussed the important things she learned. What she expected to be just a one-day nothing out of the ordinary experience, happened to turn into something so much more powerful. Rockwell, a professional dancer, told listeners that she felt as though that night in Burning Man was the first night she truly danced in her entire life. This powerful story immediately brought a smile to our faces, teaching us the importance that it is never too late to find yourself.

While Lightning in a Bottle brings over 20,000 individuals, you still feel as though you are at a sacred place where you matter just as much as the person next to you. The individuality of all comes together to create the individuality of a much bigger presence and this shows through everything the creators do. Whether it be participating in your first yoga class, or consuming your first vegan meal, LiB urges attendees to step out of their comfort zone and find themselves in a new light. Lightning in a Bottle sold out this year so we urge attendees both new and old to snag their tickets as early as possible next year. Can’t wait for 2016? Be sure to check out Woogie Weekend HERE.

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AUTHOR CREDIT: BROOKE SLIGER & CHEYENNE HAVENS

PHOTO CREDIT: WATCHARA & ANDRE SCHNYDER