ARTIST IN VOYAGE
Get inspired by faraway lands, receive support
from fellow artists, and create your own masterpiece
January 9 – 22, 2017
from fellow artists, and create your own masterpiece
January 9 – 22, 2017
Concept
This journey is a quest for inspiration. When Indonesians say they want to go for a refreshing walk, they use the phrase "cuci mata", which means "to wash the eyes". That's what our journey will be about.
We'll wash our eyes, minds and souls with pristine nature and centuries-old culture. We will learn traditional crafts, melt into ceremonial dances and music, bathe in waterfalls and glowing sea waters, climb volcanoes and swim with whale sharks. On such fertile grounds, our own art projects will grow as we share, co-create and dream together.
We'll wash our eyes, minds and souls with pristine nature and centuries-old culture. We will learn traditional crafts, melt into ceremonial dances and music, bathe in waterfalls and glowing sea waters, climb volcanoes and swim with whale sharks. On such fertile grounds, our own art projects will grow as we share, co-create and dream together.
14 days
two week journey
into the world outside and within
into the world outside and within
5 islands
Bali, Java, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, Gili Air
3 laboratories
LifeStream, MySelf, Living Art
What is it about?
This expedition will let us experience the very best of Indonesia. We will do multiple activities to suit every fancy:
We will also spend time working on inner processes:
We will get inspired, rested, refreshed, replenished, and revitalized!
We hope that such abundance will even inspire us to create a collaborative project to share the taste of the creativity elixir with other people.
- Climb volcanoes to see the blaze of Blue Flames at night
- Trek through rice fields
- Release baby turtles into the ocean
- Swim with whale sharks
- Meet the indigenous people of Bali who served as a prototype for the Avatar movie and bow to their Sacred Tree
- Participate in Balinese temple ceremonies and revel in the island's elaborate cultural life
- Visit local shamans and healers
- Get involved in a social service project at a Christian Orthodox orphanage
- Stay with a Balinese family in their traditional house and learn how it reflects their understanding of the universe
- Spend blissful time on paradise islands
We will also spend time working on inner processes:
- Listen and talk to our Selves in MySelf laboratory, a group processing and kinship building space.
- Purify, refine and revitalize our bodies, and become consciously aware of their material and subtle dimensions in LifeStream laboratory, intuitive energy awareness and movement practice space.
- Come into contact with ourselves, each other and our environment with a dance and movement teacher in the sacred Elephant cave.
- Let our creativity unfurl with special exercises and practices.
We will get inspired, rested, refreshed, replenished, and revitalized!
We hope that such abundance will even inspire us to create a collaborative project to share the taste of the creativity elixir with other people.
Nourish your inner artist with pristine nature, cultural heritage and practices of awareness and creativity!
We invite you to come up with a creative inquiry, which you will research in laboratories during the expedition. It could be any inquiry, for example:
- I would like to awaken my creative self.
- What kind of art do I want to practice?
- How do I creatively approach my current life situation?
- I want to work on a story line for my next book.
- How to envision and organize an eco-community?
- How to find new avenues of expression in photography?
- Etc.
Dates
January 9-22, 2017
* 14 days
* Participants are expected to arrive at Denspar International Airport for the beginning of the program on January 9, 2017, and depart from Surabaya Juanda International Airport on January 22, 2017. You may arrive to Indonesia earlier and/or depart later, but you will be on your own for food, lodging, transport, etc. We would be happy to help with hotel and itinerary ideas for your period of stay outside of the program.
* 14 days
* Participants are expected to arrive at Denspar International Airport for the beginning of the program on January 9, 2017, and depart from Surabaya Juanda International Airport on January 22, 2017. You may arrive to Indonesia earlier and/or depart later, but you will be on your own for food, lodging, transport, etc. We would be happy to help with hotel and itinerary ideas for your period of stay outside of the program.
Route
Itinerary
Day 1-3: Ubud, Bali
We will spend the first three days of our journey in the traditional village of Bedulu and the cultural tourism center of Ubud, Bali. There are hundreds of significant archaeological sites in the vicinity and workshops specializing in woodcarvings, crafts, textiles, paintings and jewelry, some of the best art museums in the country, dozens of art studios and galleries, and an excellent local craft market. There is also an active scene of body and mind consciousness work in Ubud as practitioners from around the world flock here to be inspired by Bali's nature and spiritual energy. We will stay with a local family in a traditional home compound to experience their way of life, take part in temple ceremonies, watch Balinese dances and move in the nature of Goa Gajah together with Udayana University lecturer and founder of Awakening InterArts, dance-movement artist Diane Butler, and some students and graduates from the Indonesian Arts Institute.
Day 4: Kintamani, Bali
Locals call Kintamani the roof of Bali and believe that it cleanses the soul and mind. It is a magical place with spectacular views of the crater lake and mount Batur, set in a vast volcanic caldera. Here, we will visit one of the most important temples in Bali, where residing virgin priestess, who represents the goddess of the lake, are served by 24 priests. We will also meet the original inhabitants of Bali who call themselves Bali Aga. They avoid outside influences and still practice a pre-Hindu way of life with ancient neolithic customs. Contrary to other places in Hindu Bali these people do not cremate their dead. Instead they place the body of the deceased in a bamboo cage and - after the tissues are dissolved - store the skull on a stone altar located in a special place which can only be reached by boat.
Day 5-8: Gilis
The Gilis, three minuscule deserted islands with white-sand beaches, turquoise waters and coconut palms, are a vision of paradise. Here we will have a chance to stop and dive deep into inner processes, as well as explore each island's unique character, visit very special bird and turtle sanctuaries, dive, and snorkel.
Day 9-10: Lovina, Bali
The north of Bali is relaxed and slow. Here, we will have some quiet time, taking a boat ride to meet wild dolphins at sunrise, snorkeling and diving to an underwater Hindu temple, swimming in the glowing waters at night, exploring roaming waterfalls deep in the jungles, and soaking in hot springs. We will also visit an orphanage run by an Orthodox priest and spend a day with kids developing, together, a creative recycling project that helps the orphans to support themselves.
Day 11: Ijen Plateau, Java
Kawah Ijen volcano is surreal, exciting and rewarding. It is set in a stunning landscape of volcanic cones with a beautiful turquoise lake and is a place where two most unusual phenomena on Earth can be seen. The first is known as the "Blue Fire", an electric-blue flame that comes from combustion of sulfurous volcanic gas. The second is a one-kilometer-wide caldera lake filled with turquoise-blue water. The color of the water is a result of its extreme acidity and high concentration of metal ions. We will hike up to the spectacular crater lake during the night to see the blue flames and meet local workers who mine sulphur deposits from the shore.
Day 12: Probolinggo, Java
This day we will visit a small beach that becomes a gathering place for whale sharks, the biggest fish on Earth, for only one month out of the year. The brave ones will have a chance to swim with these giants in open waters.
Day 13-14: Mount Bromo
Mount Bromo is Indonesia's most iconic mountain and one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It sits inside a massive volcanic crater surrounded by fine volcanic sand, which is called the "Sea of sand". This breathtaking lunarlike landscape is out of this world. After the sunrise at Bromo we will visit a legendary 200-meter high waterfall called Madakaripura. This spectacular waterfall lies hidden at the end of a deep valley cascading from the dense forest above. This waterfall is in fact a circle of 7 waterfalls and caves. Surrounded by outstandingly high walls, the water flows down into a mystical natural chamber. The legend says that this sacred waterfall was a meditation spot and the last residence for the great mystic and powerful man, Gajah Mada, the Majapahit Empire's Prime Minister.
Team
Guide-Interpreter: Yana K.M
Yana holds a Master's Degree in Fine Arts. She has taught photography at the State University of New York, organized art workshops for children and adults, and taken part in numerous exhibitions and festivals worldwide.
Over the last 15 years, Yana has visited more than 50 countries, and fell in love with Indonesia, where she spent two years studying traditional arts and discovering the hidden beauty of the islands. She speaks fluent Russian, English, French and Indonesian.
Yana holds a Master's Degree in Fine Arts. She has taught photography at the State University of New York, organized art workshops for children and adults, and taken part in numerous exhibitions and festivals worldwide.
Over the last 15 years, Yana has visited more than 50 countries, and fell in love with Indonesia, where she spent two years studying traditional arts and discovering the hidden beauty of the islands. She speaks fluent Russian, English, French and Indonesian.
Facilitator: Michael Yoshpa
Michael holds a PhD. in Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Chemistry, and Masters Degrees in Biology and Education.
He is a photographer and facilitator of inner development retreats.
Michael is an author and facilitator of several self-learning laboratories: LifeStream, MySelf, Living Science, and Living Dreams. He teaches meditation, qigong and martial arts.
Michael holds a PhD. in Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Chemistry, and Masters Degrees in Biology and Education.
He is a photographer and facilitator of inner development retreats.
Michael is an author and facilitator of several self-learning laboratories: LifeStream, MySelf, Living Science, and Living Dreams. He teaches meditation, qigong and martial arts.
Testimonials
A real Living Myth has happened to me in Indonesia! Yes, yes, yes, a very real Living Myth. It was not just a meaningful journey, not just getting to know Indonesia – it was a space of my very own Living Myth. it was a space in which experiences that I collected throughout my life suddenly interlinked, interconnected and blossomed. It was a space for my personal courage, challenge and victory, it was a space for contemplation, a space of transformation and synchronicities, it was a living space, a space of Living Myth.
I am very grateful to Yana, Michael and Hauwke. Thank you very much for thoroughly organizing everything, and giving me freedom to be who i am. Thank you for your kindness, care and professionalism. Thank you!
It is difficult to put in words the power of what I experienced in two weeks of our expedition. I will attempt to express that through four gifts that i received:
1) A beautiful, rich, pithy, contrasting journey through Indonesian islands! Visiting temples, living with an Indonesian family, meeting a traditional healer, bicycling through rice fields, swimming first with turtles, then with whale sharks in an open sea, visiting a cave waterfall, climbing volcanoes!
2) A wholisitc perspective onto my life story, merging little and big events that happened before the trip, and underwent transformation during Living Myth. LifeStream and MySelf laboratories helped prepare for eventful days, integrate experiences and impressions, and invite important questions to emerge in a group process, to be discussed and answered.
3) Reawakening as the author of my own life. This was the Artist in Voyage expedition, meaning I am the creator of my own life. I have to say that this is neither a concept, nor a logical and a resourceful position to be in, but a poignant experience of being the author of my life. And the essence of this experience is still with me.
4) Meeting amazing people and becoming friends with them. Long looks, group discussions, tender hugs, joint efforts, joyful laughter, help and support, understanding similarity and difference, exchanging knowledge and skills. MySelf laboratory, humanitarian project in an orphanage, time spent together – all that made it possible to open, express, integrate and present everyone in a unique way.
And all that did happen!
I am very grateful to Yana, Michael and Hauwke. Thank you very much for thoroughly organizing everything, and giving me freedom to be who i am. Thank you for your kindness, care and professionalism. Thank you!
It is difficult to put in words the power of what I experienced in two weeks of our expedition. I will attempt to express that through four gifts that i received:
1) A beautiful, rich, pithy, contrasting journey through Indonesian islands! Visiting temples, living with an Indonesian family, meeting a traditional healer, bicycling through rice fields, swimming first with turtles, then with whale sharks in an open sea, visiting a cave waterfall, climbing volcanoes!
2) A wholisitc perspective onto my life story, merging little and big events that happened before the trip, and underwent transformation during Living Myth. LifeStream and MySelf laboratories helped prepare for eventful days, integrate experiences and impressions, and invite important questions to emerge in a group process, to be discussed and answered.
3) Reawakening as the author of my own life. This was the Artist in Voyage expedition, meaning I am the creator of my own life. I have to say that this is neither a concept, nor a logical and a resourceful position to be in, but a poignant experience of being the author of my life. And the essence of this experience is still with me.
4) Meeting amazing people and becoming friends with them. Long looks, group discussions, tender hugs, joint efforts, joyful laughter, help and support, understanding similarity and difference, exchanging knowledge and skills. MySelf laboratory, humanitarian project in an orphanage, time spent together – all that made it possible to open, express, integrate and present everyone in a unique way.
And all that did happen!
Anna
engineer, manager
Moscow, Russia
Moscow, Russia
It was quite a journey before even embarking on "Artist in Voyage." After over 30 hours of travel from the U.S.A., I arrived in Bali and made it to my homestay for the next 3 nights. Being surrounded by Hindu and Balinese deities, I began to have vivid, lucid dreams of loved ones and past acquaintances. It was as if my mind was reconnecting old dots that had been scattered about.
This sense of reintegration was coupled with the meeting of an amazing group of fellow travelers. I had never been around so many Russians in my life, but soon found comfort and amazement in warm and kind people that would become my friends over the next two weeks. The beginning of our trip coincided with a cremation ceremony that took over the streets and ended with celebration and the burning of a body. It was as if an old version of our self was ritualistically being burned away to prepare ourselves for the better version that was to come.
The organizers of the trip - Yana, Misha, and Hauwke – set an amazing itinerary that kept me on my toes, but also invigorated my soul and mind. I can not stress enough how this was a trip of a lifetime! We ate amazing local food, biked through rice fields and learned about the harvesting progress, visited many Hindu and Buddhist temples, traveled to islands and snorkeled over coral reefs, swam and played with whale sharks, hiked two volcano summits and a waterfall, saw the sunrise and trekked offroad in jeeps, visited a local healer, and went dolphin watching.
These were the main events of the trip, but it was our conversations amongst each other and the local people that gave the human quality to the trip. Staying in homestays, I felt as if I was a local and found it easy to learn how the locals lived. We had daily body work practices to keep our bodies alert and supple to the new experiences coming our way. We had insightful group discussions about our feelings and how our actions were affecting us. It was really amazing stuff! Group processing is the real deal.
I found the amenities and flow of the trip smooth and very affordable for two weeks of adventure. One participant mentioned that they were expecting an "Artist in Voyage" trip to have workshops that revolved around art, but in the end saw how the travel experience was the catalyst for the art that may come. Indonesia was a place unlike anything we had visited, and being thrown into that new environment with daily adventure and new friends became the muse and inspiration of the art that will soon be expressed outwardly.
This sense of reintegration was coupled with the meeting of an amazing group of fellow travelers. I had never been around so many Russians in my life, but soon found comfort and amazement in warm and kind people that would become my friends over the next two weeks. The beginning of our trip coincided with a cremation ceremony that took over the streets and ended with celebration and the burning of a body. It was as if an old version of our self was ritualistically being burned away to prepare ourselves for the better version that was to come.
The organizers of the trip - Yana, Misha, and Hauwke – set an amazing itinerary that kept me on my toes, but also invigorated my soul and mind. I can not stress enough how this was a trip of a lifetime! We ate amazing local food, biked through rice fields and learned about the harvesting progress, visited many Hindu and Buddhist temples, traveled to islands and snorkeled over coral reefs, swam and played with whale sharks, hiked two volcano summits and a waterfall, saw the sunrise and trekked offroad in jeeps, visited a local healer, and went dolphin watching.
These were the main events of the trip, but it was our conversations amongst each other and the local people that gave the human quality to the trip. Staying in homestays, I felt as if I was a local and found it easy to learn how the locals lived. We had daily body work practices to keep our bodies alert and supple to the new experiences coming our way. We had insightful group discussions about our feelings and how our actions were affecting us. It was really amazing stuff! Group processing is the real deal.
I found the amenities and flow of the trip smooth and very affordable for two weeks of adventure. One participant mentioned that they were expecting an "Artist in Voyage" trip to have workshops that revolved around art, but in the end saw how the travel experience was the catalyst for the art that may come. Indonesia was a place unlike anything we had visited, and being thrown into that new environment with daily adventure and new friends became the muse and inspiration of the art that will soon be expressed outwardly.
Avraham
facilitator, writer, traveler, mystic, nature lover
Florida, USA
Florida, USA
Traveling through Indonesia with Yana, Misha, and twenty or so other incredible individuals was truly a voyage of a lifetime. Like with any truly meaningful adventures, there were ups and down, as my city-adapted body and the wild jungle sometimes clashed! The more challenges I faced, the more Yana and Misha supported me in integrating these experiences in a way that has left me feeling stronger, more confident, and more capable than ever. The trip was incredibly well organized, down to the minutest detail. Yana was very sensitive about adapting the schedule and offering options to those who had different needs. Misha was also incredibly attuned to people's individual needs and the needs of the group, and held our group processes with warmth, kindness and intuition. Thank you both for an adventure I will not soon forget.
Liz
Marriage and Family Therapy Intern
California, USA
California, USA
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