Category: creativity

creativity

In the pause: What writing my book taught me about how to spend my time

Christa Avampato

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve talked to a lot of friends about the concept of how to spend our time. As they say, even BeyoncĂ© only has 24 hours in a day. We all have to make choices. Try as we might, we can’t do everything, at least not all at once.

So how do we decide what gets attention, effort, and time, and what has to fall by the wayside? And how can we be confident in those decisions once we make them? All I can give you is my own experience. I gave up a lot to write my book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters. There were many times I didn’t go out and have fun for the sake of writing, rewriting, and editing. I poured myself into that book, and that meant I spent less time on other parts of my career and personal life. I stopped teaching yoga; I took on fewer freelance projects; I spent less time trying to climb the ladder in my business career; I dated less; I made less money; I left my home in New York City to go out into the unknown. All for the sake of a book that I wasn’t sure would ever see the light of day.

You might be asking, “What the hell was she thinking?” and you’d be very right to ask.

I was thinking that if I didn’t write this book, if I didn’t get this story down and work my a*s off to get it out into the world, then I would be left with a profound sense of regret. And I don’t mean the regret varietal that goes something like, “Huh, I wonder what that would have been like.” Nope. I’m talking about the kind of regret you read in articles like Top Five Regrets of the Dying. Want to know the #1 regret in that list? “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.” Ouch. I couldn’t live, or die, with that. I had to be true to myself now, and that meant I had to write this book. So I gave up what was needed to get it done. And there isn’t a single thing I gave up that I wish I had done instead of writing that book. Not one.

I had the great gift of a fire that nearly killed me at age 33. The 8th anniversary of that fire is about a month away, and every day since then has been gravy in my mind. I was infinitely fortunate to survive. I have tried hard to live a life I’m proud of, even if people don’t understand it, don’t agree with it, and criticize it. I hope I’m around to see 103. Seriously. If our world is this insane today, just imagine the crazy sh*t we’re going to experience in the year 2079! But if that’s not in the cards for me, that’s okay. Really. I wrote this book. It’s the creative act of my life that I’m most proud of. If and when you hold that book in any form in your hands, you are holding my heart. How great is it to be able to give that away in the hopes that it helps some one, somewhere, some time.

That’s what I did with my time here on this Earth in this life, and it was more than worth it. What’s your Emerson? Find that. Pursue that.

 

creativity

In the pause: Maybe a stressful situation is leading you to where you need to go

Christa Avampato

I’m managing through Phineas’s adjustment to our new apartment. While it’s stressful at the moment thanks to the worst neighbor we’ve ever had, last night as I drifted off to sleep I started to wonder what could be the very positive flip side to this story.

Maybe Phin and I are meant to rescue a second pup who needs a home and will be Phin’s BFF for the rest of his life. Maybe this situation is prompting me to step up my job search even more so that I can *finally* stop renting and buy my very first home. Maybe this journey to help Phin through his anxiety is leading me to someone I’m supposed to meet who will have a positive impact on my life. Or maybe it’s just meant to give me more compassion, empathy, and concern for those who are also going through stressful times.

I’m not sure if any of those narratives are true, but their possibility is helping me rest a little easier and encouraging me to keep moving forward.

creativity

In the pause: Who I am and what I’m looking for in my job search

Christa Avampato

A recruiter and career coach suggested that I put together a snapshot of who I am and what I’m looking for in my job search. It was a great exercise that helped me focus and communicate my search. Know someone I should talk to? Connect to me on LinkedIn. 

“I use business and storytelling skills to build a better world. After completing my undergradate studies at Penn, I managed Broadway shows and national theater tours. Then after getting my MBA at Darden, I spent 10 years in a variety of product and program leadership roles at for-profit companies, nonprofits, and startups while also building my writing portfolio as a freelance journalist at publications like The Washington Post.

A proud New Yorker, I want to bundle all of my business and writing experience to work for an organization creating social impact in education, access to the arts, and / or systems that serve as the bedrock of New York City.”

 

creativity

In the pause: You are entitled to your dreams

Christa Avampato

“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.” ~Robin Williams

As I’m deep in the job hunt at the start of this new chapter in my career, I’ve been thinking a lot about dreams. How big to make them, how long to chase them, and how much to give up for them. These are very personal questions, and there are no wrong or right answers save for this one exception: we are all entitled to them.

Dreams are the lifeblood and the bedrock of the human imagination. They need air and companionship as much as we do. Please don’t crumple them up and toss them into your sock drawer. You and your dreams deserve more than that; they deserve a shot.

I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to make your living from your dream. You may never even earn a single cent from them. And I don’t think that matters at all. Dreams are about much more than that. They are what keeps our creativity alive, and our creativity is the most important asset we have. If we lose the ability to dream, that little spark of madness that says “I think I can” against all odds, then life becomes very dull very quickly.

If I learned anything during a very tough week last week, it’s this: life is to be lived, fully, in every moment. That doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and roses. Sometimes life feels downright impossible. Sometimes we struggle just to put one foot in front of the other. But that act of persistence, of pushing through against the odds, is the very essence of what it means to live. That is exactly the moment of our creative growth. It’s the most human thing we do—to go on.

creativity

In the pause: Finding comfort at St. Pat’s

Christa Avampato
St. Patrick's Cathedral, NYC. Photo by Christa Avampato.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC. Photo by Christa Avampato.

I often go to St. Patrick’s Cathedral to find peace and solace during stressful times. I emptied my change purse, lit a candle, and said a prayer.

I prayed for my friend who passed away and for so many of my friends who are struggling through life now. To find a job where I can spend every day building a better world for all of us. For Phineas’s anxiety to subside so we can happily settle into our new home. For the continued opportunities to do my creative work, and for love. 

About 10 minutes later, I had an interview with a startup that is exactly the place I’ve been hoping to find. I got an email from my publisher that the pre-order page for my book is now live (more details on that later after I do a bit of polishing on it). I checked in on Phineas and he was only barking occasionally behind his new gate which was barely audible when I got to the lobby of my apartment building. And for a brief moment, I was able to imagine my friend who passed away as being in a happier, more peaceful place now.

I can’t say for sure if lighting a candle and saying a heartfelt prayer made a difference for me today but it certainly feels that way, and that’s good enough for me. Whatever you’re facing now, I hope this same shift in energy finds you and comforts you.

creativity

In the pause: A day fully lived

Christa Avampato

Today was an upside down, turned around kind of day. Today I can say that I lived. Really lived.

My pup, Phin, happily played at daycare for 12 hours while I: ran about a dozen errands, set up his gate and noise dampening curtain, and had two very solid job interviews where I spoke my truth and it was appreciated. A sweet, cuddly, adorable 10-day-old baby slept on me for 2 1/2 hours. A dear old friend needed a shoulder and an ear, and I gladly and gratefully offered mine. And I lost a friend today whom I had not seen in a long time but will remember as someone who was always focused on how others were doing. She was whip-smart, incredibly capable, and never afraid to speak her mind. I admired her for all of that, and she will be missed.

Today had incredible highs and incredible lows. Moments of activity. Moments of calm. I am trying hard to remember that life will flow if we let it, for better or for worse, through difficulty and ease, through discomfort and freedom, if we believe that it can. I wish you a day full of life, and all that it brings.

creativity

In the pause: The future you want is out there

Christa Avampato

It’s been said that there are an infinite number of parallel universes where every scenario of your life is currently in existence. That’s a pretty trippy thing to consider but today I’m going to let my mind expand and imagine that’s true. Makes things a little easier, doesn’t it?

creativity

In the pause: Managing through anxiety

Christa Avampato

This week has been an anxious one for me thanks to a threatening neighbor in my new apartment building. My dog was barking at some disturbance outside, the neighbor flipped his lid, and left me a threatening voicemail. Twice. Not feeling safe in my home is a trigger for me, and this threatening message sent me into a difficult spiral of emotions.

I tell you this not for sympathy (I am immensely fortunate to have friends who have helped me through the last few days in countless, valuable ways) but to offer empathy for those who also battle this struggle. For too long, I didn’t ask for help. As a matter of fact, I silently chastised myself for struggling at all. With anything. Ever. I *should* be stronger than this. I *should* have everything under control at all times in all circumstances. I cannot break down. Ever. At least not in front of people.

What I’ve learned is that asking for help, advice, and support is the bravest, strongest thing in the world. Let people in. Share and listen. That’s what’s going to make things better.

 

creativity

In the pause: How to make today count

Christa Avampato

“Each morning, we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ~Buddha

I’ve been a little wrapped up in the activity of the weekend, some of it good and some of it not-so-good. I had a bit of day, as they say, whoever they are and they would be right. The thing is, we’ve got to do our best to let it go. I am the queen of hanging on so I understand that this is a tall order. Let it go. Exhale it. Stop worrying, thinking, churning, and obsessing over what doesn’t serve you. I get it. Yes, we’ve got to let it go, and it’s very difficult to do that.

So what if we did this, instead? What if we just promised ourselves to learn from it? What if we paid forward the experience to our future selves? What if we could accept the idea that “tomorrow I’ll do better” is enough? I think it’s worth a shot.

creativity

In the pause: Unlocking the stories and secrets of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Museum Hack

Christa Avampato

Abraham Lincoln and Russian Tsar Peter the Great were both virtuosos of which musical instrument? Wait, what? They were musicians? Indeed, they were.

I’ll give you a hint. Actually, I’ll give you three hints:

  • It fits in the palm of your hand.
  • It’s (at least) 2500 years old.
  • It’s often called “the window to the soul” because it only makes a sound when held to the player’s mouth.

Nothin’, huh? Don’t worry. I had no idea and neither did any of the nine people on my Museum Hack tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday night.

Sage, a Shamanic historian, offered our group of curiosity seekers this little-known slice of history as a special expert guest on our tour. But he didn’t stop there. He went on to provide a sonic healing and meditation for us while playing….the jaw harp, a minute cousin of the harmonica. (The jaw harp is not currently on display and we were only able to see and experience its mystical sound because Museum Hack had booked Sage as the tour’s special guest presenter.)

Why I’m thrilled to discover Museum Hack
These are the kinds of secrets and surprises that unfold around every corner of a Museum Hack tour. Their fun-loving guides reveal the behind-the-scenes stories, histories, and antics of some of the most famous and most obscure pieces of art at the finest museums in the country.

But I live within walking distance to the Met and I go there all the time. Did I really need to take a tour? I could have wandered through the museum reading placards and listening to pre-recorded generic audio tours on my phone. Or I could stand underneath a ceremonial lodge roof from Papua New Guinea and have a live master storyteller describe the object of spiritual power offered to an 11-year-old boy during his rite of passage celebration that happened in these lodges. Not a difficult choice for me. I’m going with the master storyteller and that ceremonial roof. Every. Single. Time.

The tour was perfect for a museum lover like me, and it would be equally entertaining for anyone who’s never even set foot in a museum. Museum Hack is all about making art and museums accessible and intriguing to everyone.

Museum Hack’s VIP Tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
I spent three hours at the Met wowed and inspired by our guides. Their senses of humor were matched only by the depth of their wild, weird, and wonder-filled knowledge of art and the history of the Met’s fledgling beginning. They led us through the medieval paintings of Europe and the tribal sculptures of Africa, on to the American Wing’s jumbled collection of ordinary and extraordinary, and then to the vibrant deity-depicting silks of Nepal and Tibet. Along the way, they dropped juicy tidbits about the art, the museum’s architecture, and the motley cast of characters who set out to create the Louvre of the U.S. starting with only one very plain and not-quite-finished Roman sarcophagus that no other museum in the world wanted. (It’s still on display in an inconspicuous corner and provides further proof that yes, greatness can be achieved even from the humblest of beginnings. Met, baby, you’ve come a looooooong way.)

the guides asked for requests, though our group opted to let them lead the way to their favorite odd and fantastical pieces. Actually, I take that back. There was one request to see a toaster, mostly because we thought there was no way the Met had a toaster anywhere in its collection. We were wrong; they do indeed have a toaster. Actually, they have three toasters, nestled in among the mummies, Marie Antoinette’s standing desk with hidden chambers, and the true-to-life Chinese philosopher’s garden. The Met also happens to carry the distinction of being the largest baseball card collector in the world. And yes, they do have an art ambulance, a mobile unit fully-equipped to care for the art in the event that some visitor decides it would be fun to leave their own mark one of the pieces. (This is why even the Met has trouble having nice things!) Despite being an enormous fan of the Met, I never knew any of these things about this magnificent museum before I met Museum Hack.

One last surprise
After three hours of winding our way through this never-ending maze of priceless art, from Ancient Roman and Greek statues to Tiffany windows and truly everything in between, you’d think it would be impossible to still be in awe of anything. Rest assured, it’s not only possible, but highly probable, at the Met. The Temple of Dendur, complete with the entrance gate, is jaw-dropping. And you must go at night when it’s lit from the inside and you can imagine yourself as Indiana Jones, slowly making your way through the desert dunes to unlock the ancient magic and mysteries held in its walls.

And if just seeing the temple, complete with ancient hieroglyphs and modern day (tastefully inconspicuous) graffiti, wasn’t enough, Evan also shared its bizarre and unbelievable, but very true, backstory.

If you stand at the gate of the temple and look out the northwest windows, a high-rise apartment building looms above Central Park’s tree tops. Jackie Kennedy spent the later years of her life living in that building. Her bedroom looked out on the Met and she had a clear view of the Egyptian temple. It was a fitting view because she actually picked it out. As Evan said, “Yes, she went pyramid shopping. In Egypt.”

The Egyptian government had decided to dam up the Nile and when the Nile flooded, it submerged a series of sandstone temples. The U.N. refused to help save them so the Egyptian government contacted President Kennedy. In exchange for help to save the temples, Egypt gave one to the U.S. to be displayed in a museum. Jackie and her keen eyes went to Egypt and picked out the very temple that sits in the Met. To this day, it’s still referred to as Jackie’s nightlight.

As the museum staff informed us that the museum was closing, we reluctantly left the pyramid behind. Dustin turned to me and said, “To book this room for an event, it costs $150,000.” I smiled and said, “I think it’s totally worth it.”

And I meant it. After all, with the exception of a Museum Hack tour, when will you ever get the chance to party in a priceless Egyptian temple and hear the many secrets it has to tell?

About Museum Hack
Museum Hack offers tours and events in the finest museums in New York, D.C., Philly, San Francisco, L.A., and Chicago. To learn more and to purchase tickets, visit https://museumhack.com. They also have insanely entertaining Instagram and Twitter feeds, and send delightful emails that offer discounted tickets, giveaways, and a healthy dose of revelry.

Our crew recreating Washington Crossing the Delaware
The jaw harp
Ceremonial roof from Papua New Guinea
The Temple of Dendur
The Astor Chinese Garden Court
Marie Antoniette’s mechanic table

*All photos taken by me or provided in the public domain by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.