Journey Juju

Where to Stay in Amsterdam: Amster-lodging for the Curious

2010-02-08T14:25:05-07:00

If you're considering coming on my June Curious Amsterdam excursion, you're probably thinking:

"Cynthia's given me an interesting piece of the puzzle to play with...where will I stay?"

I'm happy to offer suggestions for your Amsterdam lodging comfort.

One of the reasons I set up my excursions without lodging is that everyone has a certain standard for nesting while traveling. It’s a very personal decision and I think everyone should and can find the perfect lodging for them.

That said, I can make recommendations based on my taste and what I like when I travel. Be warned: I like quirky and unusual places to stay. If you’re more of a four-star hotel dweller, you won’t like my suggestions.

Live like a local

I prefer to stay in neighborhoods where the rhythms of daily life are apparent as opposed to a tourist zone where all I see are visitors with cameras and all the brightly lit joints that cater to that crowd.

To me, it’s more important to be around shops, cafes, grocery stores and street markets versus being near the museums or other attractions. I don’t mind being slightly away from the center, and you won’t catch me pitching up near Leidsplein.

I rarely stay in hotels. I prefer to rent an apartment for a week or more. This saves money and feels more comfortable and private. I like to cook some of my meals, which allows me to buy sumptuous goodies from the local market.

Of course, whether you're in a hotel or otherwise, be sure to buy flowers from one of the hundreds of flower markets in Amsterdam.

I especially like to have lovely tea or coffee and breakfast at home in a leisurely fashion before I head out into the city. During my last stay in Amsterdam, we cooked giant American breakfasts that fueled hours of biking and exploring.

We’d been traveling for four weeks and appreciated the ability to eat the kinds of breakfasts that some Americans like. We made a leek fritatta, roasted potatoes, toasted whole grain bread, yogurt (my favorite coconut flavor!), and endless cups of Earl Grey tea.

Amster-lodging

In Amsterdam, I have stayed near Vondelpark, both across from the Rijksmuesem and in Oud-west, and in the charming Jordaan neighborhood, just near Anne Frank’s house.

Most often, I use craigslist to find apartments. One time in Amsterdam it didn’t work out so great, and twice it worked out just fine. I’ve used craigslist to find apartments in Paris since 2003 and it always works out very well.

I’m usually shooting to spend around 60 euros ($100) per night, which often results in really small apartments.

Paris shoebox>Amsterdam apartment 1> Amsterdam apartment 2

Finding an apartment online
You have to trust your intuition and be savvy when renting from people online. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, don’t.
There are tons of places online to rent apartments in other cities. Just search "apartment rental short term Amsterdam"
If you do want to rent a place via craigslist, here’s what I do.

Start by choosing what neighborhood you want to stay in. Go to the Amsterdam craigslist page, click on sublet/temporary housing. (Not vacation rentals, which will be a lot of overpriced apartments or bed and breakfasts.)

I look for listings with photos, and try to get the exact location. You can use google earth to see the place live. Look at least two months in advance.

Contact the person, ask questions about logistics, agreements, deposits, cost, making sure what you need is included. It’s vital for me to have good internet connectivity and to have that included in the cost, so I make sure to inquire about that.
You may also want to rent an art studio (often a workspace and not lodging). Transartists hosts studio rentals from all around the world.
Glancing at the list is fun – I can imagine myself on a Greek island, working on my next novel, or living outside of Istanbul in my own apartment. The possibilities are endless.
Here are a few other cool places to stay, as recommended by Le Cool Amsterdam. I'll be recommending this guide to you later; stay tuned.
 Cake Under My Pillow in De Pijp
Want to stay on a former freight ship? Le Maroxidien is an ‘organic’ bed and breakfast near the Central Station.

De Windketel must be one of the oddest places to rent: a former property of the Municipal Water Company. Three stories of pure charm

Other ways to find places to stay:
•    Ask your network – tweet or make a Facebook request for info to ask for lodging recommendations.
•    Check out Couchsurfing.com. Good cochsurfing guests aren’t just in it for the free lodging. Expect to connect and make new friends.
•    Do a search for your desired neighborhood, perhaps you’ll find a houseboat or an artist’s studio or something interesting.
Other ideas? Share them in a comment below.
If you haven't signed up for Curious Amsterdam: Tap Your Creative Juju, there's still time to get the early registration discount - enough to buy you at least two nights' lodging in Amsterdam! Check it all out here.

Amster-Biking

2010-02-02T22:06:36-07:00

I love bicycling in Amsterdam and want to share a short video with you. Come ride with me in Amsterdam!

Watch closely for Vondeldog!

Want to go biking in Amsterdam? Join my Curious Excursion for a unique creativity and writing workshop in Amsterdam, June 13 - 19th, 2010.

Curious Amsterdam: FAQ

2010-01-26T13:06:37-07:00

When you read about Curious Amsterdam, you were curious, right? Of course, which means you’re in the right place. I’ve answered some common queries here, but if you have other questions, please contact me. CynthiaAToriginalimpulseDOTcom.

Will I enjoy this if I don’t have a traveling companion?

That’s one of the great things about these excursions – the creative tribe bonds very quickly. The group dynamic is one of sharing, fun and adventure.

The people who come on these excursions are very likely your new friends, also traveling the creative path.

Isn’t Amsterdam all about sex and drugs? Is that what you mean when you talk about a ‘sensual experience’?

That’s for sure a tour I could see in Amsterdam, but that’s not what Curious Excursions are about. We’re about feeling the breeze on our face as we ride bikes along the canals, about the absolute impression we felt when we saw Van Gogh’s work in person, about relishing the palpable buzz of life in the city’s open air markets and cafes.

Of course, sex and drugs are part of the allure of Amsterdam for some. Our itinerary allows plenty of free time for you to explore Amsterdam according to your whims.

I don’t speak Dutch. Will I be able to communicate with the locals?
Most Dutch people speak English quite well. If you love playing with languages like I do, I recommend signing up for the Dutch word of the day and learning some basic phrases.
That said, Dutch can be difficult, the words a long string of consonants that are not pronounced in any recognizable way. My favorite: the g is a k sound. Dag (hello) sounds like Dak.

Don’t get too twisted up about the language; you’ll have no problem speaking English wherever you go in Amsterdam.

Why isn’t lodging included?
On past creativity trips, I’ve noticed that people have specific needs regarding where they rest their weary bones.

Rather than try to somehow meet everyone’s standards for perfect digs, I’ve turned that over to you.

It’s a rare opportunity to be part of a group while customizing your experience. I’ll be happy to point you toward places I suggest. My recommendations are in the juju guide that I give you as part of the excursion packet.

Will this be worth my investment?

I’ve worked hard to make this as affordable and as luscious as possible. I’ve also got tons of fun planned for you and your tribe mates.

As with most experiences, you get out of it what you put into it. Your role will be to be open, tap your playful, joyous self, and track it all in your notebook. Makes me giggle just thinking of it.

I guarantee that this will be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. I guarantee that the juju you gather will contribute to your life, work and creativity in ways you couldn’t plan.

I can also say that all the travel I have done in Europe has given me more than any money I spent. My creativity is abundantly realized at work, home and in the studio, and I can point to trips I’ve taken as the source of much inspiration.

What kind of workshop is this?

From coaching and teaching for over ten years, I’ve discovered my favorite classroom: one where conversation sparks insights, and where writing and other creative acts drive us deeper into our vitality. Add our curiosity to a vibrant urban landscape and the learning is quantum.

The world is our classroom. I’ve never been able to sit still in stuffy classrooms. (Yes, I know that was you, too, looking longingly out the window during math!) Language arts, math, orienteering, communication arts with a bit of drawing, color and texture thrown in, and we’ve got a curriculum that tickles the student in you.

As such, I’m not disseminating a set curriculum as much as offering invitations. The learning isn’t hierarchical, it’s curvier than that! Think of Amsterdam’s bridges and canal streets, sloping up and down, curving away from the river. The learning’s more wavy like that.

We’re not creating work to critique. It’s not about doing anything well or right or creating a masterpiece. Instead our journals are part of the conversation we have with our environment and our experience. Think of it as intrapersonal work in color.

We’ll use my creative keys to unlock our juju. The ongoing oeuvre of your life is the canvas, and you’ll have the right blend of encouragement and guidance and freedom to paint yourself large.

The only grade you’ll get in this classroom will be given by you, based on how big your smile is when you leave Amsterdam.

Bottom line: it’s gonna be a lot of fun.

So you’ll be teaching us art?

We will play in many media: improv, storytelling, word sketching, drawing, collage…..
If you have a copy of my Creative Toolkit for Travelers, you’ve got a good idea of the tools we’ll use to fill our notebooks.
I haven’t picked up a paintbrush or pen in years. Will I be able to keep up?

That’s the great thing about my excursions – it’s not about competing or keeping up. It’s about slowing down enough to take life in on an entirely deeper level.

Emerge from the digital slipstream and into the sensual world around you. Take in new insights and wisdom through your direct experience, not through someone else writing about it on a blog. ;)
What’s Pecha Kucha?

Pecha Kucha is a presentation style favored by designers and artists. Presenters show 20 slides, and are allowed 20 seconds per slide to talk about it.

We’ll have longer than that, but each of you will be asked to stand and deliver to your tribe your creative findings for the week. Imagine the most fun show and tell you’ve ever been to.

How do I know this is the right excursion for me?

If you can use any of these adjectives to describe yourself, this trip is for you. Check the words that apply to you:

Curious
Unusual
Risk-taker
Insightful
Outrageous
Understanding
Silly

Artistic
Mindful
Smart
Traveler
Empowered
Responsible
Determined
Adventurous
Merry

Still not sure? Five ways Curious Excursions are priceless:

1.    You’ve never done anything like this before: priceless.
2.    You’ll meet new creative friends and share laughs, insights and adventures: priceless.
3.    You’ll get guidance from one of the most adventurous, colorful and seasoned creativity coaches: priceless.
4.    You’ll experience Amsterdam on a completely sensual level, and will be able to travel this way for the rest of your life if you choose: priceless.
5.    You’ll access your creative juju and capture the inspiration for later use: priceless.

What have past excursion participants said?

If you could talk to those who’ve gone on this journey with me, this is what they’d say:

“What a gift you gave me at a crucial point in my life. A superb mélange of indulgence, beauty, and feminine empowerment that will change your life and way of seeing yourself and the world after one day, after one taste of this beautiful city.
Cynthia was so smart and helpful with the experiences, the writing, and living the French experience and beauty.
Her presence and humor and energy empowered the dynamic in the group. It gave me the joy and hope to continue forward. I loved the energy of the group. I loved the way it was handled and the encouragement we all received to step out of our comfort zone.
The trip has reconnected me with beauty in myself, in others, and in life. I have made some wonderful friends and kindred spirits. I cannot stop thinking and talking about the whole experience.
It has changed me and helped me embrace my femininity and power. It was amazing.

Cynthia, you rock!”

- Soo Young, Boulder, Colorado

Read about how much others love these excursions.

Still curious? Send your question to me – cynthiaAToriginalimpulseDOTcom.
About the photos: The top photo is by Rhiannon Connelly of StarryBlueSky. All other photos by Cynthia Morris.

Curious Amsterdam: Tap Your Creative Juju

2010-01-23T12:28:57-07:00

Curious Excursions from Original Impulse

Amsterdam June 13th - 19th, 2010

You see inspiration for art in the world all around you, but you haven’t picked up a paintbrush or even a piece of sketching charcoal in months. You know that you want to be a writer – but you have pages of notebooks left unfilled. You’re starting to question your creative capabilities. Maybe you don’t really have the magic to create art inside you.
Don’t despair. If you’ve lost your creative juju, we know the perfect way to gather more.

Curious Excursions is a creativity workshop hosted in beautiful, mad, eclectic, unflappable Amsterdam, a city full of feasts for your senses. You’ll join an adventurous tribe of artists just like yourself – people who badly want to give in to the impulse to create, but lack the inspiration, the fire, the hidden magic.

That creative fire is your juju. I think of it almost as magic dust. It floats in the air around the things that inspire you to create art. Sometimes, though, we’ve looked at the same things and people and places so often, we can’t see the juju anymore.

That’s why every creative person needs a spare pocketful to pull out and throw in the air now and again, when the magic needs a little boost to get going.

We’ll take you on an epic quest for new juju in the city itself, in the streets and the people and the abundant art scene. This isn’t a travel tour and it isn’t the sort of workshop where you stare at an easel all day. This is a serious adventure, a way to tap the wellsprings of juju all around you and gather it up for all those times when you feel lost and drained of your creative juice.

It’s a workshop like no other. Just enough structure to keep you challenging yourself, mixed with lots of room to roam, create, and break all the rules. You can’t imagine finding your juju by following the rules, can you? It’s not in the nature of juju to be caught the same way every time.
We’ll spend one week in Amsterdam being as free and wild in our thoughts as possible, devoting a day to every creative sense so you have lots of possible places to find a hidden cache of juju.
When you find some – a place that brings a story to mind, a person whose life intrigues you, a hat bobbing above the heads in the marketplace – you’ll capture it between the pages of a Moleskine Japanese notebook. The accordion-style journal is the perfect way to capture juju as it unfolds during the week.

And when you need some juju in your life in the future, all you need to do is open those pages again and set it free.

How to Gather Juju

You only have one week to replenish that creative well you’d thought was dry, only one week to collect as much juju as your Moleskine notebook, your brain, and your senses can hold.
That’s why we use every one of our creative senses to find those hidden treasures of juju that can be found all over this amazing city.

Monday – Sight and Design

Our quest to gather juju begins with the sense of sight. You’ll explore Amsterdam’s urban landscape, looking for the sparkle of juju in every nook and cranny.
You may find it shimmering atop the Westerkerktoren, slipped in a book at the Spui book market, or hiding on a tiny piece of baroque styling on a single house overlooking a canal.
You might even find some under the hat of an old woman as she tucks up her hair before boarding the bus.

When it comes to juju - and design - we all see it in different places than everyone else. That means that you decide where, in Amsterdam’s boundless possibilities, you will seek it out.
Trust your instincts; juju is fairly magical, after all. Logic won’t help you in your quest for it.

Tuesday – Sound and Story

Juju is most commonly found hidden in the stories of others. Just as truffles and tomatoes have favored places to grow, juju grows best in stories. You’ll join us in tromping the streets of Amsterdam in a collaborative storytelling effort, using the city as your inspiration for ever more compelling tall tales that might lure your juju closer.

Your sense of sound is essential to this exercise, for you will have to hear the faint sound of juju among the words your companions are saying, and carefully extract the juju from the story itself. It’s a delicate process, but a rewarding one. Every time you’ll gather a little more juju, tuck it away in your notebook for safekeeping, and keep listening for more.

Wednesday – Scent and Empathy

You may have heard that smells can evoke whole memories. They can also open doors to creativity, and they can summon your juju to your side. You’ll explore the power of empathy in Amsterdam’s thriving art scene, tapping into what most inspires you. Perhaps you’ll choose a street fair, or one of the many galleries or museums, or even a single artist sketching by the canals.

Wherever you go, breathe deeply. Scents and smells will deepen your empathy with what you see. When you are most tapped into the world around you, you are most likely to hear the sound of your juju in the music around you, or see it in the face of the market vendor who just sold a painting.

Thursday – Taste and Symphony

If music be the food of love, then a hearty feast is surely the symphony of your most heartfelt emotions. Juju thrives in places where people are full of happiness and real enjoyment, and this means you can often find juju in the pattern the spoon makes as it swirls the sauce, or in the memories a well-loved dish evokes.

Join your companions in a beautifully orchestrated meal, sharing and savoring, and you’re sure to uncover new sources of juju just as easily as you uncover new dishes. The dinner gathering is a high art in itself, but it also fosters other kinds of artistry – just the sort you’ve been looking for.

Friday – Touch and Play

By this time, you surely have no fear you won’t find any juju, for your notebook will be full of your juju gems from the week. Now it’s time to seek out juju in ever-more unlikely places, for juju is fickle and without rules. The unexpected draws more unexpected things, and so it is when you play and laugh and explore that you’re most likely to put your hand down – quite by chance – on a thriving trove of juju.

If you want suggestions on what games you might play or places to explore, we’ve got them for you. Bring your Moleskine and spend the day in laughter, games, merriment – and lots of juju gathering.

Saturday - Intuition and Meaning
You’ve gathered a treasure trove of juju over the last week; now it’s time to share the tale of your quest for it with your companions, so that you may all learn the true value of your own intuition.
A Pecha Kucha-style presentation will help us share those experiences with one another, and it helps to listen closely.
Intuition helps us discover that we really do have the wisdom to recognize what we need locked away inside us, and we only need to trust in it to find new sources of the juju we need to badly to stay creative.

You’ll also discover more about your companions, where they seek their juju, and how they’ve learned new ways of finding some. Take these stories to heart. They’re rather like aficionados sharing the best place to find good wine or a beautiful restaurant. All the intuition of the group transforms those chance encounters with your juju into places you can revisit again and again.

As you can see, even within the context of your creativity workshop, you’ll have many opportunities to nurture your creative self in the ways you most see fit. Should you ever be at a loss for a place to explore or a new sight to take in, your guide is always ready with a handful of possibilities.

Why Amsterdam?

If you’d been, you’d never ask – and if you have been you’re probably already aching to return.
Amsterdam is a playground for people who have grown too tall for the ones our children enjoy.
It is full of curious corners and magical moments, people who astound and intrigue, design that baffles and beautifies, and food that keeps alive the old tradition of bread-breaking to become closer to one’s companions.

Amsterdam is a city of art and artists, and if ever there were a place an unquenchable fountain of juju was likely to be found, this is it.
Join your creative tribe June 13 - 14, 2010.

What’s Included in the Excursion?

Welcome party at the Original Impulse Atelier

Seven days of instruction at the atelier and throughout the city itself

Daily snacks during the workshop hours

A grand feast on Thursday to delight your palate

Pre-excursion meetings on a private online group site so you can connect before you arrive

Our excursion kit which includes:

Curious Passport – You won’t get past the juju border without one. Our creative travel keys will open the doors to your creativity and allow you to translate the juju you find into your journal.

Moleskine Japanese notebook – By the time you complete your workshop, you will have this notebook filled from cover to cover with new ideas, stories, thoughts, wonders, and moments of genius. This is your juju. Keep it safe.

A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink – Daniel Pink’s guide to the six creative senses is our inspiration for the structure of our days.

Amsterdam mini-guide – For purely practical purposes, including how to get to Amsterdam, where we enjoy creative lodging, eating and shopping, and how to get around the city in your quest for more juju.

Plus our hints at places where juju is likely to be found (my favorite spots in Amsterdam).

Other fun goodies to surprise and delight you!

What’s the Cost?

All of the above is only $1,200, and you can even save an additional $200 (that’s nearly 20%!) if you register before February 28th.
You can also save $100 more by signing up with a friend – actually, you’ll both save $100. Sign up before March 1st, bring a friend and the cost is only $900.
Do sign up quickly – so many creative people out there need juju to perform their best, and they’re desperate to find some.
Our workshops can and do sell out quickly, so make sure you get your spot reserved!
You can download our registration form, with all the information and policies you need, right here.

The longer you wait, the more your supply of juju will deplete. There are so many sources of juju it breaks our heart to think of you going without it. Trying to make art without juju is, like the old tale, like trying to cook without salt. It can be done, but it is so unsatisfying that people have given up gold and jewels before they gave up that little pot of seasoning.

For an artist, juju is just as essential. Wouldn’t having that elusive, indescribable spice in your creative work again be priceless?

Let your curiosity get the better of you and come join us. Replenish your supply of juju, and your art will be full of that impossible to describe, magical, amazing quality yet again.

Your registration form is here. What are you waiting for?

About Your Excursion Host, Cynthia Morris

Cynthia has been traveling to Europe since 1985 and has been hosting workshops in major cities for the last several years.
She has been a teacher and a coach for over ten years, and has had her own writing practice for 16.
She has written and published Go For It: Leading Tours for Fun and Profit, among several other ebooks designed to help curious, creative types find their missing juju.
Cynthia always tries her tools, techniques, and travel ideas on herself before bringing them to her clients, and they’re the reason she’s managed to keep a firm grip on her juju even when more mundane life threatens to whisk it away.
She believes in making creative empowerment enjoyable, unusual, and thoroughly sensual. She believes in the curious mind, books, tribes, and Moleskine notebooks.
About the photos: The top photo is by Rhiannon Connelly of StarryBlueSky. All other photos by Cynthia Morris.

Where's Cynthia?

2010-01-07T07:05:18-07:00

First I have to thank Gwen Bell for her invitation to join the tribe recounting their best moments of 09. Reviewing my year in that way was fun and insightful and I'd do it again. In fact, I'm crafting my own best of series for the end of this year, especially designed for creatives.

The series was an apt way to end my stint at Journey Juju. I started the blog in early 2008 as a way to share my life as a creative nomad. Now that I'm slightly more stationary, I'm focused on other things.

Please join me at the Original Impulse blog, where I'm posting tips and guidance for developing a writing and creative practice you love.

You'll also find videos and exercises to engage your playful spirit and connect with your authenticity.

Life and creating are difficult enough without our own interference. I'm on a mission to help you get out of your own way so you can create and write more easily. And giggle a bit more this year.
You'll want to subscribe to the Original Impulse blog or hook up the RSS feed. Tweets will be posted at @originalimpulse so be sure to follow me there.
If you're a Facebook fan, you'll want to become a fan of the Original Impulse page. All my blog content will be channeled there, so you won't miss a thing if that's where you prefer to hang out.
I'll be traveling to Europe this summer and perhaps in the fall. In preparation for my Amsterdam excursion in June (June 13 - 19th), I'll be sharing tips and resources here for making any trip to Amsterdam more creative. Watch for that and stay tuned to Original Impulse blog for more inspiration and support for your best creative life.