I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
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.
That’s a wrap! For the first time, I participated in and completed National Novel Writing Month. Yesterday I did what I set out to do and crossed the 50K word mark of my novel, Where the Light Enters before the end of November. I still have a few thousand more to go to make a complete (and incredibly rough) first draft which I’ll finish in the next couple of days. For now, I’m so happy that I reached the most auspicious writing goal I’ve ever set for myself, and a week ahead of schedule to boot! Emerson Page lives and breathes, and I’m so glad to have her in my life.
As we round the corner to the final month of 2014, I’m taking stock of every area of my life. I’m not sure where it’s all heading or what 2015 will bring, but I do know this: I am resolved to keep my head up and my heart open to new possibilities. Right now, nothing is off the table. There will come a time for sorting and deciding but now it’s time to shake the trees. I’m prepared for surprise at every turn. I’ll do my best to enjoy the (very uncertain) ride.
When you feel like the world is trying to bury you beneath hardship, disappointment, and frustration, remember this: you are a miraculous being, a seed. With a little time, a little care, and a little light, you will make great things happen. Believe.
What we do with our days is of course what we do with our lives. I used to think that crossroads were a few times in a lifetime experience. Now I see that my whole life is a daily series of a crossroads, especially as an entrepreneur and a writer.Some crossroads are larger than others. Certain times of year, like the end-of-year holidays, magnify them.
At the moment, I’m at a pretty significant crossroads in every area of my life. Moving to a new city, and subsequently setting up a new life, brings everything into question because life literally becomes a blank slate. All my old habits and patterns are gone. I could start something completely brand new, re-jigger what I’ve already got, or continue along the same path in a new way.
I don’t have any definitive answers yet, but I do have three key questions that I’m spending a lot of time with now. If you’re in this same place, I hope the following questions help you, too:
1.) Internal question: Look in. Take money out of the equation; we’ll put it back in later. What would make you excited to hop out of bed in the morning and get going?
2.) External question: Look out. What’s happening in your city that sounds like something you’d like to be a part of? Whether it’s a community of hobbyists of some kind, a certain activity, or a place where people come together, what’s already there that you could build onto rather than starting alone completely from scratch? If there’s already a conversation happening, or a group of people have assembled around a particular interest, then there’s some indication that there’s already some level o forward momentum that you can leverage.
3.) Blended question: Move the two answers above toward one another. Where’s the overlap? Where’s the disconnect? The answer I’m looking for lies not in the internal, nor the external, but where the two come together.
Like the start of a new relationship, the start of a life in a new city (or even in your same city) is filled with a jumble of feelings: trepidation, confusion, excitement, joy, and uncertainty. Let the wild ideas flow. Building is messy, but it’s also fun. Enjoy the ride.
A few days ago, I wrote the most difficult scene in my novel. It was difficult to write because it has to raise the stakes of Emerson Page, the heroine, to a level that cause her life to change forever. While I was writing it, I kept thinking of Haruki Murakami’s beautiful quote about the reason for storms:
“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”
All the storms of our lives have a purpose. Some show us how strong we are. Others show us what we care about and how much. And others are just there to show us how wonderful life can be when the storm has passed. Whatever the reason, they all matter, and the goal isn’t simply to survive, but to thrive in their aftermath and delight in what remains.
If you’re facing storms now, and who among us isn’t?, I hope you find some comfort in the idea that no matter what the reason for your particular storm, there is something to learn. It may be buried deep; you may not see the learning until the skies brighten again. But it’s there; like the sun and the moon and the stars, it’s always there.
My college pal, Jen, posted a link to a story about a Barbie book that makes my blood boil. The short of it: Barbie, the computer engineer, can’t build the game she designs and needs her male friends to build it for her. (Don’t even get me started on everything that’s wrong with this message!)
To combat this ridiculous Barbie book, that quite frankly Random House should pull out of production, here are four awesome books that send girls the right message about science and technology—they can create anything they can imagine!
Rosie Revere, Engineer
This book explores the life of a fictional character, Rosie, who is an inventor and maker. She shows us the trial and error process of building, and illustrates all the ways in which engineers make our world a better place.
What Do You Do With an Idea?
This gorgeously illustrated book helps kids realize that their creativity and initiative to turn their ideas into real-world projects can and will change the world. This is the positive push that kids (and the adults who love them) need to boost their confidence and encourage the power of imagination.
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain
There are few areas of science more exciting that the workings of the human brain. This book uses clear language and excellent illustrations to explain the complex workings of our brains to kids, their family members, and teachers.
The outrage over the Barbie book, online and off, is warranted, but let’s not let the conversation end there. The best way to combat ignorance is to kill it with knowledge. We’ve got loads of stories and activities that show girls they can do anything and be anything. Put the books above, and the scores of others like them, under the tree this holiday season for all the girls in your life to bolster their confidence and encourage their imaginations.
Every creative project has its messy middle. I’ve felt it with every creative project I’ve ever done and I feel in now with my novel. It’s uncomfortable and at certain points you feel like you want to give up. That’s the nature of the middle. It’s confusing. But if you keep moving forward, inch by inch, you break down the enormous goal you’ve set for yourself into doable, bite-sized bits. Tackle each bit one at a time, and soon you’ll find yourself free and clear and heading for home. Don’t let the messiness get you down; it’s part of the process. Creativity isn’t neat nor logical; order emerges from disorder. Our only responsibility is to keep going.
Carmen Herrera, painter, 99, in her Manhattan studio. Herrera sold her first painting at age 89. Today her work is in the permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art and the Tate Modern.
I have no desire to go back and be younger; I’m psyched to meet my older self! Active seniors knock me out with their awesomeness. This weekend The New York Times Magazine ran an interactive piece that showcased seniors 80+ years young across a number of professional disciplines who are now at the top of their game with no sign of slowing down. Their secret: work they love and exercise. Please, Universe let me have their energy, determination, and passion to make good use of every moment I have in all the years I’m lucky enough to live.
To check out these movin’ and shakin’ seniors, click here.
The idea you have right now feels like the best work you’ve ever done, the best work you ever could do. And it should. That belief is what’s going to help you see this one through!
As good as your present project is, the best is yet to come. As I worked on Sing After Storms, I started to formulate other story ideas. I jotted them down as briefly as I could, and put them aside until Sing After Storms was done. Then I looked back at that list when I was ready for my next project. That’s where I found the seeds for Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters.
The muse works in mysterious ways. It bubbles ups when we least expect it. Get the ideas down; they’re gifts. They’ll be exactly what you need when your next creative burst of energy strikes.
Our starting location for Write Around Disney World for NaNoWriMo
I usually write alone—just me and my story. Today I’m breaking that pattern to meet and write with other Orlando-based writers as we travel through Disney World while working on the drafts of our novels for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Last year, the event drew about 20 writers and they had a great time. Our schedule is below. I’ll post photos and reflections on the event to let you know how it went. If you’re in Orlando, please join us at any point. Thanks to the Orlando NaNoWriMo chapter for organizing this event!
Where: Downtown Disney Starbucks (starting location) When: November 16th, 2014 Start Time: 10 am End Time: Roughly 4, give or take 4 hours
Schedule:
Meet at Starbucks, Downtown Disney (DTD)
DTD to Port Orleans by Bus
Port Orleans to Epcot by Bus
Epcot to TTC by Monorail
TTC to Polynesianby Monorail
Polynesian to Grand Floridian by Monorail
Grand Floridian to Contemporary by Monorail
Contemporary to Wilderness Lodge by boat
Wilderness Lodge to Magic Kingdom by boat*
Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom Lodge by bus
Animal Kingdom Lodge to DTD by bus.
*No stop at Magic Kingdom, just get back on Monorail
Christa Avampato 