'The Opening of the Third Eye', Mihran K. Serailian, 1926.
From Idea to Instrument: A Session on Building with Soul
Anyone can prompt an AI into producing something. That is no longer the difficult part. The difficult part is making it good, giving it the weight of care rather than the mark of the generic. This is the true craft question behind vibe coding, and it is the one this session interrogates.
Call it the soul problem. AI generates output without end, yet most of it carries no point of view. It was not designed. It was defaulted into existence, assembled rather than authored. This is not a philosophical debate. It is a design challenge, and the creative lab serves those who seek to meet it, wielding AI as an instrument of genuine authorship rather than a shortcut around it.
The magic remains simple to name. It is the capacity to transmute intention into reality, to take an idea out of the mind and give it form as working software. A page, a small tool, a visualization, a strange and singular experiment, spoken into being in plain language and built in full view, breaking and mending as it goes. That transmutation is the magic practiced here.
Source Library stands as proof at scale. The project has translated 28,000 hidden texts on alchemy, Kabbalah, and Hermetic philosophy, applying care and intention to AI assisted output rather than speed alone. It is scholarship rendered in code.
This session offers more room for participation.
Two tracks accommodate every stage of the creative lab. A beginner path welcomes first timers with no code required, only an idea and the patience to see it through. An advanced path invites returners to press an existing project toward its next form.
Show us what you made. Past participants will present alongside Michell and Derek this time. Bring the thing that worked or the thing that broke, but most importantgly, bring one small idea, the intention to make it real, and the playfulness to make it cool!
Format
Creative Lab | Show & Tell | Q & A
Date & Time
Friday, October 9
2:00 pm | Come early for a drink in our café and a visit to the museum.
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm | Structured workshop with free wine!
Language
English
Ticket Price
€50,-
Indications
Bring your laptop!
Prepare before the session
Fifteen minutes of prep will save you an hour on the day. Here is what to do before you arrive:
1. Create an AI Account– Sign up for ChatGPT or Claude, or any chat-based AI (free tiers work). If you already use one, make sure you can log in on the day.
2. Bring a laptop or desktop– Mac, Windows, or Linux with a charger and a modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge).
3. Pick One Small Idea– Something you could sketch in an hour: a page, a tool, a visualisation, a playful experiment. We can explore and further refine it together.
4. Browse Source Library (optional)– Spend five minutes on sourcelibrary.org, search a topic that interests you. It is a good example of vibe-coded infrastructure from a humanities perspective.
5. No install required– We will work in the browser (cursor or VS Code are nice extras, not prerequisites).
6. Curiosity and patience. The willingness to iterate when things don't work.
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Getting There
Address
House with the Heads
Keizersgracht 123, 1015 CJ Amsterdam
Public Transport
A fifteen-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station. Prefer public transport? Take trams 13 or 17, or bus 170, 172, or 174 to the Westermarkt stop. From there, walk back a short distance, turn left onto Keizersgracht, and you will find us on your right after 300 meters.
Bike
Amsterdam is best explored on two wheels, and the EFM is no exception. Ample bike parking is available along the Keizersgracht.
Car
Parking in the area is paid (~ €8,05 per hour), and spaces can be difficult to find. The nearest parking garages are Q-park Nieuwendijk at Nieuwezijds Kolk 18 (650 meters), Q-park Bijenkorf at Beursstraat 15 (950 meters), and Q-park Europarking at Marnixstraat 250 (1,300 meters). You can also park at a P+R location and travel into the centre by public transport.
Upcoming Events
From immersive cultural experiences to distinguished academic gatherings, the Embassy of the Free Mind offers a diverse agenda open to all curious minds.
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