During my Year of Yes, I decided to submit more of my collage work for contest consideration. Today I put together my Power To The Polls submission for the open call for art being run by Amplifier. What do you think?
The Modern Woman
Month: February 2018
A Year of Yes: Life is a long shot
Everything in life is a long shot. Nothing is easy. Everything worth doing takes time, effort, and passion. And this idea is freeing, not stifling. If it’s all difficult, then you might as well do what you love.
A Year of Yes: Write the book you want to read
“How did you know what to write about that would sell?” someone asked me this week.
“I didn’t write a book that would sell,” I said. “I wrote the book I wanted to read.”
“But didn’t you look at trends?” he asked me.
“I started writing my book eight years ago,” I said. “Trends from eight years ago wouldn’t have helped me today.”
He was frustrated. He wanted a silver bullet, and there just isn’t one when it comes to any kind of creative work. All you can do is follow your curiosity, do your research, listen, and then get it all down as well and as honestly as you can.
You absolutely cannot make everyone happy. Some people will want the book to go faster, and others will want it to go slower. Some people will want more detail, and others will want less. Some people will say the book is too long while others will stay it’s too short. It’s all incredibly subjective.
Just know this—over the course of writing, rewriting, editing, and publishing your work, you will read / view / listen to it dozens of times. Maybe hundreds of time. You have to nurture it, love it, and then give it all away for someone else to interpret. That is the rub of creative work—you pour everything you have into it, and then it belongs to the world. It is all a labor of love.
A Year of Yes: Don’t Hide the Madness
“Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness.” ~Allen Ginsberg
This week as the host of a live storytelling show, I was there as an orchestrator and doing tiny bits between our featured storytellers. Rather than overly rehearse them (as is my usual MO) I decided to be a bit more improvisational with them.
This is not my style. I like to be on point, suited up, and prepared for every eventuality. I hope for the best, and expect the worst. It’s how I survive in a mad, mad world. Some say it’s part of my charm; others say it’s part of my neurosis. Either way, that’s me.
And despite it being against my nature, I will admit that ad-libbing was actually fun. It was freeing (if a wee bit frightening) to just be able to listen, enjoy the stories, and respond. It’s a healthy thing to follow you inner moonlight, to let your madness have some time to the spotlight once in a while. Give it some room to breathe and explore. It’s interesting to see what it finds.
Christa Avampato 