Rave culture is often associated with the stereotypical drugs, crazy clothing, and loud electronic music. Though these things are certainly present in rave culture, the negative connotations make it seem like raving is “trashy," when in reality, it’s a lot more artistic and beautiful than people realize. A lot of raving is about appreciation.

If you have seen a photo of a rave before, you have probably noticed that it's full of vibrant colors. Raves are filled with incredibly creative and talented people. With the creators alone comes an eye for designing stages, screen backgrounds, laser patterns, and of course, the iconic music. The moments I remember from raves are not always when I’m dancing, but when I’m just staring off into the beauty of what people have created, which was done just to make us happy. They put on a show.

But while the creators are hard to compare to, we can’t forget about the creativeness of the ravers. Though there are many pre-made outfits, people use raves as an opportunity to create entire outfits -- even a person's knack for matching is amazing. People who spend time to create rave bras, shirts, and bottoms are people to admire. For my first massive rave (Freaknight 2015), I had a friend create the most beautiful, sparkly, and vibrant mermaid-inspired bras. It takes a creative mind, determination, and plenty of time in order to turn imagination into reality.

And last but not least, the flow artists. One of the few things I remember about my first rave was someone coming up to me to “melt” my face with LED gloves, something at first so foreign to me because I’ve never seen fingers that lit up. I never thought that gloving would eventually become a passion of my own. There are also orbit spinners (lights on string that rotate in an "orbit" like pattern) and poi spinners (light-up materials, such as balls or wands attached to strings), as well as hula-hoopers. All flow artists spend so much time and effort in order to learn moves and concepts just for the art of it. The most rewarding part of giving a light show is seeing the viewers' faces full of awe, all because you had the privilege to capture their attention for a moment. As a flow artist myself, I know that there’s nothing more rewarding than giving someone else a show using moves that I’ve practiced and tried to perfect for months.

Other than appreciating the arts by creative and stimulating minds around you, dancing with the kindest humans you’ve ever met is one of the best parts of raving. Whether there are people shuffling or headbanging, everyone around you dances with the love for it, and you will always leave with more friends than you came with. Trading kandi (a sort of plastic jewelry) through the hand motions “PLUR” (Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect), made by friends who were once strangers, allows you to leave the night with a souvenir, or a memory you can wear.

The creative aspects of raves -- and remembering nights filled with music, love and dancing -- are the reasons why I rave. I love admiring the wonderful work people put into their art and costumes; I love light shows and lasers, and the wonderful souls who dance their hearts out. I love the people, and the environment, always filled with care and love. Everything I said about raving -- and many more reasons that aren’t mentioned -- are true, and equally important: the beauty, the love, the creation, the lights. The memories and friends I make in a night that last a lifetime...

This is why I rave.