“No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.” ~ Voltaire, French writer, historian and philosopher
In the last few weeks, I’ve done a heavy dose of reflecting. I’m in prime planning mode for 2013. What direction will I take with my career? How will my personal life unfold? What do I want to learn? What do I want to do more often and what do I want to give up? Where do I hope to be at this time next year and how do I chart a course to get there? These are heavy questions.
Sometimes, I get frustrated. I see so many options that I get stuck and run the pros and cons through my mind over and over again. When this happens, I just stop. I close my laptop. I put down my pen. I take myself (and Phin) for a walk.
The break clears my head and I return to my challenges with fresh eyes. While on break, the wheels of my subconscious spin and ruminate without interference from the filters of my conscious mind. My subconscious goes free-wheeling to make connections between seemingly disparate bits of information. It combines information in all sorts of ways without attaching judgement. The key is that last bit: no judgement. When I let my conscious mind give up, my imagination can run wild and that is the best way to solve challenges.
Maybe this time of year invites reflection for you, too. Like me, you may be running through different scenarios for the year ahead. You will need to make choices on how to spend your time, energy, and effort. If it overwhelms you, I hope you’ll give up, too. Stop trying so hard to figure it all out. Let your mind sort it out and don’t get in its way.
This holiday, spend time with your family and friends. Let yourself laugh. Power down your devices (at least for a little while.) Be present. Reconnect with nature. Go for a walk, confident in the knowledge that the answer will rise up precisely when it is needed and that you will be both aware and relaxed enough to hear it.
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
4 thoughts on “Leap: Give Up and Keep the Wheels Turning”
YES — I realized that I needed to take a break from studying for the final exams for yoga teacher training and also practicing my flow for my first public class. So awesome to hear you explain why this break that I intuitively knew was important is so important. I also took a blog break. I am enjoying my time on the mat now without always thinking about what I need to learn from this or incorporate into my eventual teaching. I am allowing myself time to juts be and as I ‘talk’ about yoga or anatomy with others am astounded by how much I really do know. Namaste xoxo
I found your website while seeking for some thing distinct on Google about topics related to movies, but I had the opportunity to read this posting and I found it very helpful indeed
Hi, I apologize for asking this request here, but I am not ableto find a contact form or something so I thought I leave my enquiry here. I run a blogengine blog but I am receiving large amounts of spam. I see u use wordpress, is it simpler to control spam with wordpress or doesnt it make any difference? I hope you will respond to my comment or maybe send me an email with your answer if you dont want to approve the comment. Best regards, Annie
YES — I realized that I needed to take a break from studying for the final exams for yoga teacher training and also practicing my flow for my first public class. So awesome to hear you explain why this break that I intuitively knew was important is so important. I also took a blog break. I am enjoying my time on the mat now without always thinking about what I need to learn from this or incorporate into my eventual teaching. I am allowing myself time to juts be and as I ‘talk’ about yoga or anatomy with others am astounded by how much I really do know. Namaste xoxo
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It’s so important to give ourselves a break. It’s a practice we need much more often.
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I found your website while seeking for some thing distinct on Google about topics related to movies, but I had the opportunity to read this posting and I found it very helpful indeed
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Hi, I apologize for asking this request here, but I am not ableto find a contact form or something so I thought I leave my enquiry here. I run a blogengine blog but I am receiving large amounts of spam. I see u use wordpress, is it simpler to control spam with wordpress or doesnt it make any difference? I hope you will respond to my comment or maybe send me an email with your answer if you dont want to approve the comment. Best regards, Annie
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