Month: August 2012

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Leap: Is It Time for a New Chapter in a New City?

Christa Avampato

“Home is the nicest word there is.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

A few weeks ago I got my lease renewal notice from my apartment building’s management company. They only raised the rent $25 / month and I was elated. I couldn’t resign fast enough. Since sending in that lease renewal, I’ve had a number of conversations that have caused me to reflect on this city that has been so good to me and has been my home for many years. The big question I keep tossing over and over in my mind is whether $1900 / month for a studio apartment is really sustainable given my desire to live a life of my own design.

Since my leap into my own company, Chasing Down the Muse, so much more of my life has become negotiable. Far more things that were set in stone at one point are now on the table for discussion. I love New York. I’ll always love New York. More and more the thought of a new beginning in a new city enters my mind. Maybe life doesn’t need to be this hard, nor this expensive, nor this crowded. Maybe there’s a different way forward. More grass and trees and squirrels, a little more room, a little less noise, a little less dirt.

When I think about what I may want in a city, these are the things that matter most (in no particular order):
1.) Vibrant, creative, diverse, cultured city
2.) Intellectual environment
3.) Public transit
4.) Lower cost-of-living
5.) Major international airport nearby
6.) Easy flight to Florida and New York to visit family
7.) A strong healthcare / wellness / yoga community
8.) More green space, please
9.) Dog-friendly
10.) Temperate weather

I’ve signed my lease renewal until October 1, 2013 so at least until then I’ll be tooling around this city that has been my partner for almost my entire adult life. I’ll also be thinking about whether a change of scene is a needed change in the coming year. Nothing’s set in stone, but the thought of change is there. I’m taking suggestions and ideas of possible new homes – so send ’em on over!

art, creativity, home, inspiration

Leap: Paint Your Space and Get Inspired Thanks to YOLO Colorhouse

Christa Avampato
Image from Yolo Colorhouse

“Color possesses me. I don’t have to pursue it. It will possess me always, I know it. That is the meaning of this happy hour: Color and I are one. I am a painter.” ~ Paul Klee

I went to my friend Amy’s apartment last week. She bought her own place a few years back and has done a lot of renovations. The renovations are amazing – I didn’t even recognize the space! – and the change that inspired me the most was her sense of color. She repainted every room and it gave the space such a lift.

Color changes the way we see the world and our place in it. I’ve shied away from painting because I was never sure how long I’d be here and in New York City landlords usually require that you repaint back to the original color before you move out. That was a roadblock to me until I saw Amy’s place and felt so much different when surrounded by beautifully colored walls. A trip to her home gave me the nudge I needed. So I’ll paint it all back whenever I move – big deal! The inspiration is worth that extra work.

Now that I spend more time at working at home, I really need my space to be a source of pace, sanctuary, and creativity. That’s a tall order for a tiny place but Amy showed me it was possible. I took her advice and ordered 2 gorgeous colors of environmentally safe paint from YOLO Colorhouse, a woman-owned startup based in Portland: Aspire .04 for the walls and Clay .06 for accents.

I’m going to take before and after pictures so I’ll share the color make-over when it’s complete. Want to bring a little more color into your life? Check out YOLO Colorhouse!

change, decision-making, opportunity, work

Leap: Make Room for New Opportunities

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“How beautiful can life be? We hardly dare imagine it.” ~ Charles Eisenstein

On a rainy Saturday morning, I made my way to this blog as Phineas was snoozing long past his usual morning walk time. A recent incident was weighing on me. Though I know I made the right decision in distancing myself from the situation, I still felt confused about why it came about at this time.

I have long-believed in the idea of space clearing. Sometimes life can get too full. Like an over-stuffed garden, our lives also need tending and weeding so that the plants we want to grow have the freedom and room to do so. I used to think this was just a chore that happened once in a while, but as I get a bit older I realize that this process is continuous. We must be diligent in keeping up with it, especially given the pace at which life and change moves in our world. Otherwise, the task becomes overwhelming.

That’s not to say this chore is easy. Every change and every ending is difficult, no matter how much it’s needed, wanted, and warranted. Think of how much energy and effort it takes to pull weeds from the garden. Sometimes their roots are sunken way down and we must dig deep to fully excavate them. But the work is worth it. In the end, there is a freedom there and with that freedom we get the opportunity to plant something new, something beautiful, something we have yet to imagine.

career, creative process, creativity, product, product development, work, writer, writing

Leap: Prehype, a Product Innovation Boutique, Helps Corporate Employees Turn Their Day Jobs Into Their Dream Jobs

Christa Avampato
Prehype’s Steven Dean works through the product development process with clients.

I had the extreme pleasure to interview the talented partners at Prehype for a piece I wrote for PBS MediaShift – Collaboration Central. The piece is live and available for your reading inspiration. Hop over and have a look by clicking here. My thanks to the keen editorial mind and eyes of the site’s editor, Amanda Hirsch.

art, entrepreneurship, photographs, pictures, yoga

Leap: My Yoga Photo Shoot with Photographer Michael Vito of Third Place Media

Christa Avampato
Washington Square Park, New York City. Photo by Michael Vito.

Michael Vito, photographer and Founder of Third Place Media, recently did a yoga photo shoot with me in Washington Square Park in New York City. We had a blast together and I wanted to share the results with you a) because I love them and b) because you should get on Michael’s calendar if you’re looking for top notch photos, yoga or otherwise. Click here to view the album.

In the coming weeks, Michael will be putting together a guest post for this blog to explain how he, too, recently made the leap into a freelance life. Let’s hear it for another brave soul who said, “Geronimo!”, and never looked back.

dreams, generosity, gratitude

Leap: We Show Our Humanity By What What We Do For Others

Christa Avampato

“A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.” ~ D. Elton Trueblood, American author and theologian

What are you building for others? What will survive long after you and provide a benefit to those whom you will never even meet? A piece of writing, a work of art, a song, a donation to an organization that supports a cause you care about.

These things change someone’s life. They give them hope when they’re down. They help them hang on when all seems lost. They trigger memories, inspire change, and encourage dreams.

When you give freely of yourself with no request for repayment of any kind, there’s no telling how much that gift will do for someone else’s spirit, and for your own.

commitment, happiness

Leap: The Eveyday Work of Happiness

Christa Avampato
From Pinterest

“Happiness is a skill. It requires effort and time.”~ Andrew Weil

There is no place on a map called Happy. It is a slippery state of being. It requires commitment and dedication. And not the kind of commitment that we make to go to a class for a semester or to eat more vegetables this month. It’s more on par with raising a child who never intends to be independent; it requires near-constant care and tending.

I used to have a friend who constantly complained that she could never catch a break. The irony for me was that she had so much privilege, and as far as I know always had, and she just couldn’t see it, nor appreciate it. She stared at the closed doors for so long that she never turned around to see all of the opportunity waiting for her. And no amount of encouragement could ever help her get out of her own way.

Happiness doesn’t just decide where to land by blind chance. It is drawn to those who pursue it, who want to bring it into their lives in a profound way. It favors the hard-working and the ones who accept that happiness is a personal choice we make in every moment. Happiness takes up residence with those who are willing to prepare a home for it.

career, entrepreneurship, SXSW, work

Leap: The SXSW Panel Picker is Live and I’d Love Your Support

Christa Avampato

SXSW proposal time has arrived! I submitted my idea several weeks ago and its now live for your viewing (and voting!) pleasure. Anyone can vote. You will need to do a quick account set up if you’ve never voted before, and then all you need to do is hit that little thumbs up icon next to the any ideas you like.

Just click here to see my 1 minute video as well as a description of my presentation proposal “How SXSW Made Me Quit My Job to Work for Myself”. And then if you’re so inclined, click that thumbs up icon to the left of my presentation description to turn it green. I would love your support and thanks for your consideration!

creative process, creativity, determination, dreams, failure, imagination, success, time

Leap: Why It’s a Good Thing to Feel Like You Want to Give Up

Christa Avampato
All isn’t lost. You just need a break.

“The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” ~ Carl Rogers

Are you thinking of quitting? Throwing in the towel on a dream you’ve worked hard to actualize? Great. You’re exactly where you need to be. You’re just about to have a break through.

Be a softie
There’s a lot of praise for people who persevere, who never show weakness, who remain tough and steadfast in the face of every obstacle. If we constantly put on a brave face, we miss out on an enormously valuable human experience. If we never break down, we never find out what we’re really made of. If we never fall, we never build the strength to get back up and try again. And that muscle of determination is hard-won and invaluable.

You have to give up to move ahead
I’m always inspired by the number of famous breakthroughs that have happened after a nap. In sleep, we surrender the conscious wielding of the mind. We literally let our imaginations run wild, no more barriers, no more little voice that says “oh that’s ridiculous.” In sleep, all possibilities are on the table. If anything is possible in sleep, then it’s no wonder that it’s the perfect breeding ground for breakthroughs.

Carl Rogers’ famous quote about change holds true in the land of imagination as much as it does in every day living. When we accept that we may not be able to crack a challenge that we’ve wrestled with for a long time, then the answer rises up. And that answer is usually so startlingly simple that we often berate ourselves for not seeing it sooner.

But here’s the rub: as we’re pursuing the answer, it’s also pursuing us. Challenges want to be met. Puzzles want to be solved. If we don’t stop, drop, and listen, then we risk chasing one another around forever. So if you’ve given it your all and tried to chase after an answer to no avail, go ahead and give up for a while. Get quiet. Let it go and let inspiration knock on the door when it’s good and ready. That way you’ll be rested enough to welcome it when it arrives.

education, productivity, technology

Leap: Me and My New iPad – It Had Me at “Tap”

Christa Avampato
Phineas and iPad, both in sleep mode

Finally, I am the proud and more-productive-than-ever owner of an iPad. I fell in love at first tap.

Why did I wait so long?
Contrary to my tech loving nature and my job as a product developer (sometimes of mobile products), I am not an early adopter for 2 reasons:

1.) I never buy into hype because whatever device of the moment that is being hocked by a mass amount of people usually disappoints

2.) I’m frugal (read: cheap). If I’m going to spend my hard earned cash on something, it’s going to be worthwhile, something I love, and the very best deal I can get.

So why did I take the plunge now?
Like most big purchases, this was one that I thought through carefully, meaning I put it through my OCD checklist lovingly entitled, “Christa, why the hell do you think you need to buy this?”After several rounds of this sport, I made the sound and measured decision that this iPad is a fantastic investment for me personally and professionally for wide variety of reasons:

1.) My sister, Weez, teases me that if I could find a way to get paid a good salary to be a student forever, I would likely never leave a college library. Bingo! It’s my lifelong dream to be in school as much as possible. Learning is my addiction. Unfortunately, I haven’t cracked the nut yet on professional studenthood, but the iPad is getting me part of the way there. From Anatomy to Italian to painting to piano, there’s an app or a website with gorgeous visuals just waiting for me to show up and use it.

2.) Now that I’m working for myself, I spend a decent amount of my time in meetings at various locations across the city. I’ve been carting my Mac around with me at the expense of my shoulders to take advantage of downtown throughout the day. And that Mac is much heavier than I ever thought it was. I love being able to work remotely but I need to be able to be remote without a busted shoulder.

3.) Convenience and productivity when traveling. I hop on a plane to take a minimum of 6 round trips per year. That’s a lot of flying, a lot of packing, and a fair amount of schlepping. I find a lot of inspiration in this travel and it will be great to record this inspiration more easily in a variety of forms.

My iPad will get its first travel test run when Phin and I jet off to Florida at the end of the month for some fun in the sun with my favorite people on the planet (my fam.) Until then, we’ll be about town snapping photos, learning Italian, and making art. I’m prepared to be amazed. Off we go into a whole new age of productivity!