I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
Many hours and thousands of bits of colorful magazine ads glued on canvas conspired to create my first paper collage. I’m really proud of taking advertisements that told us we need to buy more to be more and transforming them into a creative act. Below are pictures of my process. I hope they inspire you to create your own art!
“Creativity takes courage.” ~Henri Matisse
A few months ago I saw a few of Matisse’s lesser known works – his paper cutouts. Toward the end of his life, he turned his attention from painting to collage. I didn’t know it at the time, but a little seed was planted in that moment as I looked at these works. I began to think about creating some visual art of my own in an attempt to grow my imagination in a new direction. The idea of it thrilled me, and now I find myself spending hours happily cutting and gluing tiny bits of paper together to create something much greater than the sum of its parts.
All creative acts in every medium take courage. We have to set out to try something new, something we know nothing about. A story, a painting, a collage. They all lead us to new destinations and we don’t know what those destinations will be until we arrive at the end of the road. Creating is a journey without a map with only our hearts as a guide and we cannot help but be changed by the experience.
What are you creating?
“Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character.” ~Horace Greeley
I’ve been flipping through a lot of magazines recently gathering swaths of color for some paper collages I’m working on. The best paper materials come from the lush photography of advertising. It’s caused me to see that most of our ads make us crave 2 things: notoriety and possessions. Not a single one focuses on helping us become better people – kinder, more generous, more compassionate, more dedicated to others.
But art can do all of these things. It can and often does inspire us to become the very best version of ourselves. And so as I turn these paper ads into paper art, I hope that I’m doing something, however small, to transform the world around me.
Last night I cruised around locations in Dupont Circle to see art, listen to music, and enjoy the more creative side of D.C. The event took place in 5 neighborhoods across the city. I wasn’t sure how many people would turn out for it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the crowds. It made D.C. feel like Brooklyn – a place where creativity is appreciated and celebrated. It’s exciting to be in a city that is getting its creative legs underneath it and working hard to be known as much for its cultural world as it is for its politics. Here are more details about the event: http://www.thedcarts.com/
Here are a few pics I snapped at some of the venues:
ZogSports DC casual soccer league is not casual. It’s not even close to casual. I think the team we played last night might be semi-professional complete with a playbook, calls, and drill practice several times per week. They were big, fast, and aggressive. Also, we only had two women instead of the required three so we had to play one man down. That means my friend, Logan, and I had to play the entire game. No break. No subs. It was rough. But we hung in there. And we’ll show up again next week. And that’s what counts. This one is a character builder for sure, and by November I’m going to have fabulous legs!
Aside from celebrating the general spirit of Christmas, I’m not Christian. However, what I take from Pope Francis is one simple and powerful lesson: if all people everywhere took up the mantle of humility and service we would have a happier, healthier, safer, and more productive world. If we could spend some time every day putting aside self preoccupation for the sake of others, we’d all be better off.
My friend, mentor, and teacher, Ed Freeman, posted this image a few weeks ago and it really resonated with me. I’m now digging into Oliver Sack’s book Musicophilia. The book explores the neuroscience of music and all of the unknown reasons why music resonates so deeply with us.
Have you ever noticed that a song can take us back in time, that it can remind us of someone, something, or some place that we haven’t thought about in years? Music stores memories and unlocks them for us. I like to think of that power as the truest form of magic. Play on.
My fall allergies are kicking in a bit and I’ve been sneezing up a storm. I think this caused me to have a tiny blood vessel burst in my eye so I’m looking a little funny. My coworker Rachael, who studied the intricacies of eyes and vision in grad school, explained to me that eyes are fragile but they’re also masters of healing. And that made me think that eyes are a good metaphor for life. We get hurt, knocked down, and disappointed, and when that happens we feel fragile and broken. But if we hang in there and just give ourselves some time, love, and tenderness (to quote Michael Bolton!), we find that we can heal from anything. The eyes have it, and so do we.
I haven’t played a group sport in quite a few years but all that’s about to change when I start playing on a co-ed soccer team this week with Zog Sports DC. When I put on my new cleats and shin guards yesterday, I felt really powerful. And not because I think I’m going to become some brilliant spark of a player but because I’m about to do something so outside my comfort zone.
There’s something to be said for purposely going after experiences that scare the hell out of us. Once we try something new, we understand that on the other side of fear is freedom. GOOOOOOAL!
Today I went to the H Street Festival, a celebration of art, food, and culture in one of DC’s most diverse and interesting neighborhoods. It felt like I was back on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It warmed my heart to be among every walk of life in a city bustling and buzzing with creativity and happiness. Here are some of my favorite shots from the day!
Christa Avampato 