“Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.” ~ Dee Hock
A few nights ago I was having trouble falling asleep. It’s a condition I used to be very used to having had insomnia for so long but now I’m closing in on a year of relief from that condition. Now a minimum of 7 hours is the norm for me and I never let myself get up out of bed anymore should I wake up in the middle of the night. So the lack of sleep a few nights ago was a surprising and disturbing event. Something was bothering me. There seemed to be no good solution to the situation I was grappling with and no matter how many times I turned it over in my mind, I couldn’t find my way out of that rut. The worst part was that it wasn’t even my problem to solve; a friend of mine is struggling with a personal issue at the moment and I was trying to think of an encouraging plan to pass along that might be helpful. No luck, and it really irked me. At first, I didn’t understand why.
I’ve read stories that say Isaac Newton did his best work by thinking of a problem and then promptly taking a nap. Einstein used his music and water-color painting to take his mind off of physics. Thomas Jefferson believed that having a lot of interests, and creating his own productive distractions actually made him even more productive when he focused on one specific task. E.B. White commented that walking away from a piece of writing for at least 24 hours before doing any editing aids our perspective. All of these methods help us find fresh eyes.
So to get myself to sleep and hopefully help my friend simultaneously, I made up my mind to forget about the problem. The moment the thought entered my mind, I said hello and promptly showed it the door. I was determined to do whatever I need to do to make the situation blur out of focus in the hopes that when I came back to it, I would have a better understanding of it.
The next morning, I realized why I was so stuck: 1 or 2 different turns about a year ago, and I would have found myself in the same situation as my friend. I would have made some very rash, heady decisions and felt crushed by the consequences. That fear mixed with relief, and the accompanying guilt and sadness for my friend, was clouding my vision. I couldn’t provide any help because the thought of being in the same situation myself scared the daylights out of me. Once I separated myself from the situation by taking a break from it, I was able to more creatively and compassionately assist my friend with some honest, actionable advice.
The next time I find myself turning a predicament, I’m taking the same course of action. I’m clearing out the clutter before I even attempt to focus. I’ll write down the problem and then immediately take it off my mind, letting it rest in the background of my mind. We want quick resolutions and immediately, correct answers but creativity doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes we have to take the counter-intuitive approach and let it go before we can really embrace it.
I didn’t create the cartoon above but it made me laugh out loud. Truth in comedy. Find the image here.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
“Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.” ~ Dee Hock 
That cartoon made me laugh out loud too. A lot of what I do with my life is about getting people to quit beating up on themselves. Some are very stubborn about it.
Great post. Good stuff to remember. When to focus – when to look away. That may be the biggest part decision making. Some get the rhythm right – some, terribly (what appears to be) wrong. For most it’s a balancing act. I love that we have to rest to get the best from ourselves 🙂
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I love that rest leads to our best, too, Trish. Rest and relaxation are not luxuries, but necessities, which I never realized before. Nice idea to remember, especially during the holidays!
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Christa,
If memory serves, Kekule saw a serpent chasing its own tail, he woke up from this dream-like state, and lo and behold, Kekule created the structure of the benzene molecule.
We need these trance-like states, every now and then, to jump-start the creativity that lies dormant within us.
Like Robert Frost, that great American poet wrote once,
We suppose/But the secret sits in the center and knows.
That’s why we must pursue our hobbies and interests instead of sticking to the straight and narrow. We need to play with the element of surprise to release the imagination from prison.
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Archan! I love that Robert Frost quote. How beautiful!
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