This month Wired Magazine published a brief conversation between Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, and Clay Shirky, crowdsourcing guru and author of Here Comes Everybody. The two discuss idle time, and the growing trend to use off-hours time for community good. Americans watch 200 billion hours of TV every year, but with new online social media tools, that number is dropping and people are increasingly taking up hobbies that they know little or nothing about at the outset. These social media tools give us a way to use our spare time to become experts on interesting subjects, even if they have nothing to do with the skills we use to earn our paychecks. Afterall, volunteers built Wikipedia, that vast user-generated online encyclopedia, in their off-hours for no pay, and they continue to maintain it.
When I worked in theatre professionally, I had no interest in spending my free time going to shows. Even with free tickets. I crave variety in my life and working a heavy amount of hours indoors, sitting down, largely in the dark, meant that I needed to be up and moving in my down time as much as possible. I became a serious runner again, I took up yoga, traveled extensively and actively started to participate in community service projects. These activities now comprise a much greater part of my life than theatre, which leads to an interesting question: “Is there any merit at all in just having ‘a job’ that pays the bills and provides time and resources for other interesting activities to enrich our lives?
In this economy, this idea encourages me. A few of my friends currently struggle with this concept – the frustration of having a job that involves a less-than-ideal purpose. Interestingly, these friends stay extremely productive in their off-hours. They have side businesses; they write consistently; they have fascinating hobbies; they raise families.
At the moment, I have a good deal of down time. Work has slowed up a bit due to the impending holiday weekend and the summer season. I finished my yoga teacher training. I could plunk myself down in front of the TV and celebrate all of this down time by letting it remain empty. I earned the relaxation. But Shirky and Pink have me thinking about energizing, invigorating ways to use the time wisely to jump a few fences that I see coming up in the distance. Idle time, while restful, can fill a higher purpose, too.
The image above can be found here.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
This month Wired Magazine published a brief conversation between Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind, and Clay Shirky, crowdsourcing guru and author of Here Comes Everybody. The two discuss idle time, and the growing trend to use off-hours time for community good. Americans watch 200 billion hours of TV every year, but with new online social media tools, that number is dropping and people are increasingly taking up hobbies that they know little or nothing about at the outset. These social media tools give us a way to use our spare time to become experts on interesting subjects, even if they have nothing to do with the skills we use to earn our paychecks. Afterall, volunteers built Wikipedia, that vast user-generated online encyclopedia, in their off-hours for no pay, and they continue to maintain it. 
Christa Avampato 
You’re post inspires me to re-think my Tivo. In a good way.
LikeLike
Same here, Tre! I love TV, but I need to make sure I’m spending a good chunk of my down time wisely 🙂
LikeLike