Burning Man has been canceled, but COVID can’t take the festival of radical self-reliance away from us. Introducing Backyard Burning Man! Build a miniature version of “The Man” in your back yard or driveway and burn it in effigy. (You may ONLY set it ablaze if you can do so safely– otherwise, you may submit your unburned work.) And of course, remember: leave no trace when you’re done.
Create a piñata filled with your negative self-talk. Destroy it mightily.
TIMELAPSE IF NECESSARY. Re-create a famous Renaissance sculpture out of wax a(and then melt it), play-dough (and then smash it), or mashed potatoes (and then eat it). You may NOT use Michelangelo’s David.
TIMELAPSE. Using ice cubes made opaque by adding milk and dyed with food coloring, create a large mosaic of Donald Trump’s face. Behind the cubes is a written message. When the ice melts, the message is revealed. (Start the video with the completed mosaic, not its construction.)
There’s something that happened in the past that haunts you. It’s time to light that sucker on fire and let it go. Write down your memory and wrap it in newspaper. Tape 20 matchsticks all around it and place it on a stack of wood. Light it and let it go in a fireplace, firepit or fire-safe area. Let’s see a picture of you and the burning item, or just the big burn. Caption your image however you wish.
“Love lifts us up where we belong.” Now that you’re getting hitched, it’s time to make the cliche a reality. Create a fully decorated wedding cake that is also a fully functioning rocket. The cake must be at least 3 layers high, made of real cake, and traditionally decorated, and must be successfully launched at least 6 feet in the air—the higher it goes, the better.
IMAGE. FELICIA DAY ITEM. (Time lapse this down to 14 seconds.) Construct an iconic building over 2 feet high out of sugar cubes (or marshmallows) and then film melting it with some kind of liquid.
Behind the Scenes
VIDEO. Time-lapse: Re-enact the 1980’s “Pepsi Challenge” with a twist. Take two human molars and put each in a glass. Pour Pepsi into one glass and coke into the other and allow them to sit for 72 hours. Remove. Which is better for discoloring/dissolving teeth? Coke or Pepsi?
VIDEO. Pressure wash something you really shouldn’t pressure wash. -Cassidy Johnson
IMAGE. Find an object that you’re holding onto for all the wrong reasons. Destroy it mightily.