VENICE B
Q: What comes to mind when reading the title above?
Most people, who have not spent a substantial amount of time in Venice Beach think: weed, bums, tatted merchants, skaters, or flower hippies. Amongst the locals the common terminology for this place is the 4 Ws (weather, weed, waves, and women.) That could essentially describe an endless array of places here in Southern California. Everyone you ask has an opinion of this place, even the ones who haven’t set one foot on the actual beach or boardwalk. Seems as though the answer I receive to the question asked above is an orchestrated repetitive stereotyped response that’s based off Venice Beach’s surface. In my opinion, Venice Beach is completely misinterpreted and ridiculed for the wrong reasons. Mostly because of the perception from previous years, which has lead VB to become labeled as a place that consists of f^‹*-ups, drifters, misfits, and the “so called” junkies. From the physical aspect at a glance Venice is that, sure. Ridiculed into isolation, categorized as a place of “lost street kids, trying to find themselves.” Ironically, my perception is quite the contrary, most of these so called “lost kids” are everything but. From the exterior, Venice Beach is nothing more than a beach with graffiti markings, relaxed feels, shops, dime bag deals, and places to get wasted, left and right. But for the eternal spirits, VB doesn’t reflect, on the surface, what it is truly comprises of below its deceiving façade. Oddly enough, some of the most artistic, spiritual, and fascinating individuals make up this unquestionably original place. You don’t have to look far to find these creatives, most of them have claimed this beach as their home, becoming the DNA of what Venice beach encompasses.
It doesn’t matter where you’re from; when you come to Venice Beach you find it’s a world of its own. Feels of ease, nonconformity, and freedom of expression fill the salty sweet air. Venice is crafted for every personality, occupied with the out-of-ordinary, colorful people from everywhere in this world. Venice serves as a fix, an escape for these supposedly “Lost Souls,” from this deceived world. Some of these people have no concept of reality but the solitude exudes throughout the area. Even the most disturbed can feel the pleasantness of peace that surrounds the area. Venice brings the most troubled to an ethereal place that resides within, to a place of pure and utter bliss in the most unlikely of ways. It’s the one place in LA you get the opportunity to express yourself, be accepted, and truly do what you want without the typical judgment of the world. You’ll notice when you are not around the confinement of people who make you feel like you’re not enough, breathing becomes enough; maybe it’s because you are captivated by the beauty that surrounds, and not the lack thereof.
With the ebb and flow of the Pacific waves crashing on the Dogtown sand, you will feel a transcending force that leaves you in a state of unpolluted clarity. Although there’s more than enough to take in around you, there is also this place that grows within you. Full of presence, you find yourself at this serene destination you’ve been seeking, one which has always dwelled within you but is found because of the acceptance and complete surrender. Rediscovering your truth, the truth of what truly matters in life, and for that short sweet moment you’ll find yourself filled with incomprehensible high. The smiles that surround the area unknowingly radiate vibrations straight through your exterior that essentially develops your subconscious. The unconventional who occupy this area desire to enjoy each passing moment, breathe in every liquid drop of gold that transpires and settles on this beach, for they know the rarity of finding such bliss. From sunrise to sunset, you will find VB is more alive with diversity and raw emotion through each ephemeral moment. Hearts beat with a pulsating love in unison with the purifying waves. The beach never feels real. It is an altered reality that you never want to leave, which encompasses every happy thought until you reach an unexplainable buzz. Palm trees whistle in the distance to remind you that you’re in the epicenter of this crazy place we call LOS ANGELES and all that it stands for: freedom, good vibes, and tranquil simplicity. It ultimately brings you to a place of surrender, with the idea that we are all one because Venice is about the single thing that we all can agree on: LOVE. The happy ending of VB is that there is no ending. This place in all actuality exists only because you exist. It’s a place that resides right inside of you.
In the words of Jay Adams, “It's dirty, It's filthy, it's uh, paradise...”