There is a strong parallel between gardening and creativity. Gardening has elements of design – color, placement, texture, size. There’s also a common element of surprise in gardening and creativity. We may plant the seeds of a specific plant, but we aren’t sure exactly how it will look until it blooms. The same goes for creativity – the solution or product or service we ultimately create may be very different from our first idea. There’s an even deeper parallel between gardening and creativity, one that we can and should intentionally, powerfully pursue.
A few months ago, I wrote a post about new ideas needing friends. Part of being a friend to new ideas is providing a safe place for them to be in their infancy, providing nourishment and space to grow. To be a friend to new ideas, we must act as greenhouses for them.
New ideas can cause disruption and inconvenience. They ask us to change and grow and alter our existing perceptions of ourselves, of others, and of the world around us. They can make us uncomfortable. They can scare us. Rather than shying away, we should pursue the ones that scare us the most. Ask why they stir our emotions in a specific way. That’s where the learning is. Ultimately, we may decide to put those ideas aside, and even if we do, they will have been great teachers for us by strengthening our convictions provided we give them a chance to show us what they’ve got.
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
There is a strong parallel between gardening and creativity. Gardening has elements of design – color, placement, texture, size. There’s also a common element of surprise in gardening and creativity. We may plant the seeds of a specific plant, but we aren’t sure exactly how it will look until it blooms. The same goes for creativity – the solution or product or service we ultimately create may be very different from our first idea. There’s an even deeper parallel between gardening and creativity, one that we can and should intentionally, powerfully pursue. 
Christa Avampato 
Thanks so much for the link!
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