We’ve all got dark corners – in our past, present, and future. If we live long enough and fully enough, we all find misfortune in some form or another. And that misfortune becomes a part of us as much as any joy or success. The darkness has its place, too, if for nothing else than to give us empathy, compassion, and understanding for the dark corners that others have.
My wise and dear friend, Sara, helped me realize something about our darkness. Somewhere buried deep in your shadow is a false truth that you believe because of the things that have hurt you. Don’t shrug off your sadness or pain. Instead, look at it not with a stone cold stare but with gentleness and love and kindness. Ask your doubt why it’s there and what it believes about you. Are you a fraud? Are you difficult to love? Are you enough? These are the questions hidden in the shadows of our lives that lurk and pop their heads up when we least expect them and least need them—when we’re already down and out and trying to stay afloat.
Sara recently helped me uncover the questions in my shadow. While I have no answers to them yet, I now know what they are for the very first time. She gave me an amazing gift—the ability to see my shadow without flinching, shrinking, or denying its existence. My shadow and I aren’t totally comfortable with each other yet, but we’re on our way. And we’re dancing.
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
2 thoughts on “This just in: Dance with your shadow”
Hola! I’ve been following your web site for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Humble Tx!
Just wanted to mention keep up the excellent
work!
Hola! I’ve been following your web site for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Humble Tx!
Just wanted to mention keep up the excellent
work!
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Thanks so much, Ruby. Hola back at ya and thanks for reading.
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