Month: March 2018

creativity

A Year of Yes: Talking about writing to 500+ students, teachers, and staff at Charlottesville schools

Christa Avampato

“The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” ~Peggy O’Mara, editor, publisher, and child advocate

I’m in heavy prep mode as I get ready to talk to over 500 students, teachers, and school staff members in Charlottesville as a speaker for the Virginia Festival of the Book. I am ecstatic to chat with with them about my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, the process of writing and revision, character development, the importance of a book’s setting, the publishing business, creativity and imagination, and mythology in the age of hip hop. What?! Yes, it’s true. And I can’t wait!

creativity

A Year of Yes: Don’t apologize for hearing the music

Christa Avampato

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche

It can be hard to see the future so clearly while living in the present. We see change marching in our direction, and we want to adapt, we need to adapt. Others refuse to recognize it, and do everything we can to help others see what we see, hear what we hear, and they can’t or won’t.

That’s okay.

Years ago, Brian told me that I see what I see and I know what I know, and that’s what’s made all the difference in my life. That’s the basis from which I had to make my decisions, and so I did. I stopped worrying about what other people thought about my choices. I stopped worrying about being judged or criticized or misunderstood. I just decided to do the best I could with what I had and what I knew.

And you know what? It was the best decision I ever made. I chose to be free.

So you go right on dancing and believing and creating. Let your life be a beautiful expression of exactly who you are.

creativity

A Year of Yes: Climb your mountain

Christa Avampato

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” ~Jack Kerouac

Sure I could have made choices that were safer, and quite frankly, a hell of a lot easier. Despite the tough journey to this moment, especially these last few difficult years, I’m in love with my life. My friends, the city I call home, my work, my creative projects, my writing. I climbed the mountain, and the view is spectacular. And I intend to keep climbing. No regrets.

creativity

A Year of Yes: David Bowie on books

Christa Avampato

“Q: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

A: Reading.” ~David Bowie

As if we needed another reason to love David Bowie. He was known to be a voracious reader and traveled with a library on film shoots and concert tours. Earlier this year, his son, Duncan Jones, launched an online book club in honor of his father. The Bowie Book Club will work its way through Bowie’s list of his 100 favorite books.

Another of his quotes about books that just knocks me out:

“I’m a real self-educated kind of guy. I read voraciously. Every book I ever bought, I have. I can’t throw it away. It’s physically impossible to leave my hand! Some of them are in warehouses. I’ve got a library that I keep the ones I really, really like. I look around my library some nights and I do these terrible things to myself–I count up the books and think, how long I might have to live and think, ‘F@#%k, I can’t read two-thirds of these books.’ It overwhelms me with sadness.”

David Bowie, we will miss you forever for so many reasons. Long live your beautiful spirit and the love of books.

creativity

A Year of Yes: The power of books

Christa Avampato

“Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” ~Plato

As I was getting ready for my talks for the Virginia Festival of the Book, I came across so many beautiful quotes and art inspired by the love of books. This one above is one of my favorites. Books give us such strong connections—to one another and to the best versions of ourselves.

creativity

A Year of Yes: Prepping for my Virginia Festival of the Book talk at Charlottesville schools

Christa Avampato

Screen Shot 2018-03-11 at 1.59.10 PM.pngWorking on my presentation about writing for the 7 Charlottesville-area schools I’ll be presenting to as an author for Virginia Festival of the Book in less than 2 weeks. I’ll be talking about the writing, revision, and editing process, the power of the imagination in world building, and curiosity as the best tool to generate and craft ideas. Drawing wisdom from these sages whose work has inspired mine over the years.

creativity

A Year of Yes: Supporting Central Park

Christa Avampato
Central Park after this week's storm.
Central Park after this week’s storm. Photo by me!

Central Park staff were out early this week cleaning up the park after the storm. Phineas and I spend a lot of time in this park, and we really appreciate everything that the staff does to keep this park the jewel of the city that it is. To thank and support them, I became a member. They are a big part of making this city such a wonderful place to call home.

creativity

A Year of Yes: The gift of helping others find their groove

Christa Avampato

“We’re all just walking each other home.” ~Ram Dass

This week I spent time with graduate students at Cornell Tech, helping them with their product development portfolio projects, and with a friend who needed some advice about how to move forward in a difficult professional situation. In both these instances, I felt alive being able to offer help, support, and advice. These circumstances reminded me of this quote by Ram Dass. If we aren’t helping each other through this life, then what’s the point, right?

creativity

A Year of Yes: I’m as much a rewriter as a writer

Christa Avampato

“A good book isn’t written; it’s rewritten.” ~Phyllis A. Whitney

There is an excitement in crafting something from a blank page, but I will tell you that I’m much more excited to add the layers of revision once the bones are set. To me there is something very special about the furthering of a vision that makes me love rewriting more than I love writing. I work very hard to get through that first phase quickly. With the track laid and the outline in front of me, that’s when my creativity really takes off. I’ve learned to see revision not as a necessary evil but as an old, dear friend who helps me put the pieces together so that my stories can be shared and heard.

creativity

A Year of Yes: Never stop reading fairy tales

Christa Avampato

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” ~C.S. Lewis

I never outgrew reading fairy tales. I became a writer and an author because of them. They’ve helped me to make sense of life, to have hope in times that seemed so bleak. I don’t believe in happily ever after; I believe in stronger and braver ever after. And that has made all the difference.