Author: Christa Avampato

The short of it: Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day. The long of it: My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events. While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series. A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist. My company: I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media: • I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference; • I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable; • I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me. Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
creativity

Wonder: Further thoughts on simplicity

Christa Avampato

“Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world; it is the last limit of experience and the last effort of genius. “ ~George Sand

It takes a lot of time and talent to create something simple, elegant, and intuitive. It should be easy for those who consume it. So easy and effortless that it seems that anyone can do it. The truth is that simplicity and elegance aren’t simple to create at all. It’s difficult and mind-bending work but it’s so worth it. To see the delight of the people who consume whatever you’ve created, to have them instinctively understand its value, is an enormous accomplishment. It’s something I strive for in my work and my life. I rarely get there, but when I do, it’s a magical feeling.

creativity

Wonder: House of Sweden Handicraft in Washington, D.C.

Christa Avampato

On Tuesday I went to House of Sweden, an extension of the Swedish Embassy here in Washington, D.C. Their exhibit Next Level Craft – Cutting Edge Handicraft from Sweden is a compact and perfect combination of art, craft, fashion, and history. From shoes made of woven thatches of wood to glass beavers to led-faceted fashion accessories, this exhibit blend tradition with modern times in a way that leaves me wanting to finally take the Lapland adventure I’ve been dreaming of for years.

The exhibit runs through this Sunday, April 24th, at House of Sweden. See it.

creativity

Wonder: The genius of simplicity

Christa Avampato

This week I’m thinking a lot about simplicity and am inspired by this quote:

“Any fool can make things bigger, more complex. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.” — E. F. Schumacker”

Here’s to finding the genius within each of us to get to solutions in our lives and in our work that are simple, elegant, and effective.

creativity

Wonder: Looking for a home in D.C.

Christa Avampato

That’s it. I’m buying a home in D.C. After investigating my rental options, I discovered that buying is both less expensive and makes better long-term financial sense. In some ways it’s scary to put down these kinds of roots. In other ways, it’s freeing and comforting. I’ve decided to not be afraid and to channel all my energy into the excitement of becoming a homeowner for the first time. It’s one of the main reasons I moved to D.C., and now it’s time to make it happen. I’m madly in love with this city and I’m so glad I chose to move here for a thousand different reasons.

I have an amazing agent (Sharif Ibrahim) and an equally amazing loan officer (Mark Eigenbrode). I hit the jackpot with this combination of real estate talent and knowledge. I’m lucky beyond belief, and I know it.

So here’s to finding a home this week and making an offer. That’s my big goal, and I’m going for it!

creativity

Wonder: I’m baaaaaack…

Christa Avampato

Hello all. It has been over a month since I’ve published to this blog and I want to tell you why I so abruptly took the longest break that I’ve taken in the 9 years since I’ve been writing it.

In March, I received a letter from a photography website threatening to sue me for using an image on a blog post four year ago. That’s right – a single picture, that I got from Pinterest, for a single post, 4 years ago, and I had attributed it to the artist. They never sent me a takedown notice. They just skipped right to suing me for thousands of dollars. By the grace of the universe, my friend, Amanda, connected me to a wonderful attorney who agreed to represent me, and it seems that the issue has evaporated. I haven’t heard a word from them since.

So, I’m back. This has been a wonderful time for me to creatively reflect on my writing and I’ve plowed a lot of time into a number of wildly creative projects including finishing a working draft of my novel, Where the Light Enters, getting one of my paper collages displayed in a gallery in D.C., continuing my writing for The Washington Post, planning a trip to Cuba (yes, CUBA!), and joining a film production company here in D.C. as an associate producer. All while keeping my day job at an education technology startup and being in the process of buying a condo here in D.C.

What I do want to make abundantly clear is that I’ve missed you. A lot. I miss the conversations back and forth. I miss hearing how you’re doing. I miss updating you on what I’m doing, seeing, and hearing. I’ve missed this outlet and I’m thrilled to be back. So here’s to you. Here’s to me. And I’m so glad we’re back together.

And to speak to the unfortunate photo incident of March 2016, all photos that you see on this site were either taken by me or for me. If you want to use any of them, you are absolutely free to do so. No questions asked. Just add a little attribution with my name and this website URL http://christaavampato.com. Let’s never be apart for that long again, okay? Okay.

creativity

Wonder: The two choices we have in every moment

Christa Avampato

“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” ~Abraham Maslow

I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot lately. It seems that the older I get, the more often I have to make this choice. I’m about to enter my fearless 40s so there will be nothing but stepping forward for me. I’m sure this is going to make my life more challenging, and I’m also convinced that it’s going to make it more exciting and more rewarding in every way. No turning back now.

creativity

Wonder: Bitter or better

Christa Avampato

Next week I turn 40, and this is my greatest lesson in life so far: if something doesn’t go my way, I’ve got two choices – I can choose to let it make me bitter or make me better. In my life, most things haven’t gone my way. They went the way they had to go to turn me into the person I am. And no, that’s not necessarily fair. Sometimes it’s downright unfair, but those are the times I learn the most – about myself, about others, and about the world. And yes, that learning can be painful and disappointing, but I’m grateful, in hindsight, for every ounce of it.

On the cusp of 40, I’ve made a decision – from here on out, I’m only getting better. I don’t have time for bitter.

creativity

Wonder: Choose the battles that matter

Christa Avampato

Choices“If I gave in to silly then, I’d be giving into silly forever.” ~Norman Lear on an early stand he took with the network to defend the language in All in the Family on its very first episode

You’ve got to pick your battles, and they aren’t always the big ones. You’ve got to pick the battles that matter in meaning. Meaning correlates with significance. Every time I face a battle I have to step back and look at how it plays in the larger landscape.

I ask a lot of questions to determine significance. If I do or don’t fight, am I setting a precedent? What is actually at stake, even if it’s not immediately apparent on the surface? Who am I fighting, and why? If I do or don’t fight, will I have to compromise my personal principles and ethics? Will the outcome have a longterm impact, and if so, what is that impact? Do I care enough to fight? Am I protecting someone else who needs my protection? And let’s be honest – we can only fight so many battles with the limited amount of time we have. So for every battle I do fight, it means I have to give up fighting for something else.

This is not an easy negotiation to make. The decisions are sometimes painful and I often have to be prepared for a variety of outcomes. As I get older, the process goes faster and my choices are always better informed by the choices that have come before. No matter what the outcome of my choices, I do take time to reflect on how they went and I get down the learning from each of them. Experience is always the reward. We are our choices.

creativity

Wonder: Join Creatives Connect to meet other D.C. creatives

Christa Avampato

CS-creativityMy friend, Corrine, organizes a Facebook group that promotes monthly events and meetups for creative people in D.C. Whether you have a creative career or just enjoy going to cultural events of any kind – art in any medium, writing, music, food, etc. – this is a wonderful group to join. I’ve been going to these events since September, when Corrine started organizing it. It’s been a source of inspiration and community for me, and I’ve loved meeting people through it (including Corrine!) Join the Facebook group at this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1005333856154073/. I hope to see you at the next event!

creativity

Wonder: Project Rubeus and the beauty of small solutions

Christa Avampato

small_better_small“The problem with history is that it usually doesn’t go back far enough.” ~Reverend James Forbes

We have a lot of great big problems in this world. Sometimes I think they’re getting bigger, more numerous, and more complex because we think that all big problems need big solutions. Lately, I’ve been challenging myself to find the smallest solutions possible, solutions that are simple, easy, elegant, and inexpensive.

Project Rubeus is a perfect example of this. I’m trying to solve the problem students face having to sift so much history to make sense of the world around them. And because time waits for no one and history is being made every day, this problem will only get more complex with each passing day.

I could develop an enormous, expensive solution that boils the ocean in search of the most distal shreds that build a cohesive story with multiple perspectives. I want to focus on finding the smallest slice of a solution that works, and then go from there. Step by step, piece by piece, word by word. That’s how all great travels start, how all great works of art get made, and how all great books get written.

Just focus on the next and smallest step, see what you find there, and proceed with love. That is enough.