Category: creativity

creativity

In the pause: It’s time to put the past in context

Christa Avampato

“The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.” ~Willie Jolley

Yesterday, I listened to an interview with Chris Whipple, author of the new book The Gatekeepers: How the White House Chiefs of Staff Define Every Presidency. The books shows that many of the former presidents made many of the same mistakes that the current administration is making and often with the exact same reasoning as past administrations. Whipple said, “Presidents learn many of the same lessons once they take office, and unfortunately almost all of them learn the hard way.”

This interview reminded me of Jolley’s quote. While we can’t live in the past, it is so important to learn from it. And that includes are own past as well as the past experiences of others. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to forge our own path; being armed with information about the paths of others can only help ease the way. This is why mentorship matters. This is why reflection matters. If we can learn from the past, we have a greater chance of building a brighter future.

creativity

In the pause: Surviving the in-between

Christa Avampato

“The waiting. The meantime. The in-between. It all serves a purpose, even the delays and detours.” ~Anonymous

My friend, Katya, posted this the other day and I think it’s a really powerful and comforting reminder for all of us. We are all in a process of becoming, and becoming something requires a bit of waiting. Progress in anything is achieved one day, one step at a time. And in each of those moments we are learning exactly what we need to learn. Everything that we’re going through now is preparing us for what’s ahead. Every experience we’ve ever had has prepared us to meet this moment in front of us.

Right now, I’m in the midst of a lot of change. It’s all very exciting, and it’s also a lot. And in these next few weeks, I’m in a bit of a holding pattern. Normally, I would be anxious in a time like this and instead I’m enjoying it. Learning every day. Setting up the tasks I need to do now to hit the ground running in short order. There’s a lot of planning.

Though the energy required to plan is different from the energy needed to act, it also holds its own happiness and joy to be looking ahead with happy and eager anticipation of what’s around the bend. Then will be here soon enough so let’s enjoy the journey to get there.

creativity

Chicago Public Schools consider post-graduation plan requirement for all high school seniors

Christa Avampato

Christa Avampato's avatarA Can of Coke

This week, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel started shopping around the idea that all high school seniors must have a post-graduation plan in order to receive a diploma. This plan would have four options: an acceptance letter to a 4-year college or university, an acceptance letter to a community college, enrollment in the United States military, or an acceptance letter to a trade school program.

“We want to make 14th grade universal,” he said in an interview on CBS This Morning. “That’s the new goal line.”

What do you think of this idea? Will it work? How will Chicago Public Schools reach that goal line for all of their kids, and what new supports will they need to put in place to make this requirement a reality?

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creativity

In the pause: The age-old question of age in the workplace

Christa Avampato

“Just remember, when you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed.” ~ Charles Schultz, Peanuts creator

My friend, John, shared an article in which he’s mentioned. Everyone of every age should read it. It’s about the value of older people in the workforce and that constant tug-of-war between young and not-so-young employees. At 41, I’m in that mid-zone. I call it the messy middle. Not quite young, but not quite old either. I would say my spirit, interests, and curiosity lean younger while my experience level and sensibilities lean older. Lately, I’ve been having this exact conversation about the messy middle with many friends of all ages.

One of the many great gifts in my career has been that in every job except for one, I’ve had co-workers that range from brand-new college grads to those on the doorstep of retirement and everything in-between. (And that one exception was a doozy that I’m glad to have in my rearview mirror! It stands as the shining example of what a lack of age- and experience-diversity does to a team—it makes it stagnant.) Nowhere was this age-diversity more prevalent than in professional theater. At 22, I had friends who were triple my age and then some. Their stories and experience taught me about life, work, and friendship in a way that I never could have learned if I was surrounded by other 22 year olds. And my youth at the time had something to offer, too—a new way of seeing and doing things that hadn’t been done before. These were my very first professional experiences and they have been the bedrock on which I’ve built the last 20 years of my career. That healthy, two-way respect between generations is a foundational element of not only my work, but my life. My friend group still reflects that diversity in age and experience, and I hope it always does.

My point in all of this is that everyone at every age has something to bring to the table that is different and valuable in its own way. We all have something to learn from each other but to make that learning possible, everyone on a team has to remain open to entirely different perspectives. Listen without waiting for our turn to talk. Ask questions. Walk in someone else’s shoes. Try to understand the other side of an argument even though it so directly contradicts our own. Ask for help. Offer help. Support one another. Cheer for one another. Celebrate every win and loss because each offers something we need at the exact moment we need it.

Let’s replace the tug-of-war between generations in the workplace and in life with a hug and smile. We can go further together.

creativity

In the pause: Stand for something—a lesson from Hamilton

Christa Avampato

“If you stand for nothing, Burr, what’ll you fall for?” – lyric from the song “Aaron Burr, Sir” from Hamilton the Musical

In our country, we are seeing leading and misleading. Comments on social media, with no substantiation or proof, are believed simply because of who’s saying them. Opinion is too quickly becoming fact. It’s important to know what we stand for, not who we align with or how we label ourselves, but what we stand for individually when everything else falls away.

I’ve often talked about being on Team Human, meaning respecting, defending, and advocating for the rights of all people to be free to live a life that suits them best so long as they don’t inhibit anyone else from doing the same.

I believe that health, happiness, and the prospect of success should we attainable for all people everywhere. They’re not luxuries or decided by luck of the draw; they are human rights.

That’s what I stand for. It’s the lens by which I judge everything. It’s the motivation that causes me to act, stand up, and speak out. And it means I don’t fall for anyone or anything that violates that belief, regardless of who may be advocating for it.

creativity

In the pause: An immigrant’s fortune was made in yogurt

Christa Avampato

This month’s Fast Company features Hamdi Ulukaya, the Founder of Chobani, in its cover story. A Kurdish immigrant who moved here to go to college after facing persecution in his home country and without speaking a word of English, Hamdi is an inspiring figure in business and in life. If you want to feel hopeful about America and the good that capitalism can do, I highly recommend reading the article. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down and all I want to do is eat Chobani yogurt and learn more about this fascinating man. With a lot of hard work and the right intentions, it’s amazing what the human imagination can accomplish.

creativity

In the pause: Planning for Iceland

Christa Avampato

This weekend I started sketching out my second book about Emerson Page and her travels are going to take her to the Land of Fire and Ice—Iceland. Next month, I’m going to take a long weekend to go to Iceland, poke around, take a lot of pictures, and do some writing. I would love to get any recommendations about where to go, what to see, where to stay, and who to meet while I’m there. Cheers and thank you, or rather skál and Þakka þér fyrir!

creativity

In the pause: Embrace endings

Christa Avampato

“I don’t pay attention to the world ending. It’s ended for me many times and began again in the morning.” ~Anonymous

I’ve learned to embrace endings, not because they are fun or comforting but because they make space for something new. I’ve learned that nothing lasts forever, that life in all its forms is full of cycles and changes. Changes and challenges, no matter how much they are welcomed, are difficult because for some amount of time there is a void. I used to be very quick to fill up that void as fast as possible. Now at the ripe old age of 41, I purposely slow it down. I spend a good amount of time reflecting, processing, and deciding how best to move forward after any major change. I’ve learned how to ask for and receive help with grace and gratitude. And then I pay forward that help, as many times as I possibly can.

One of the great benefits of growing older is that it’s easier to pinpoint what really matters and why. When something ends now, I’m grateful for the lessons it teaches me and the strength it gives me. In time, new possibilities and opportunities always present themselves and often in the most unlikely ways. The world begins again, and we’re off on new adventures that pave the path ahead. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

creativity

In pause: You have more power than you think you do

Christa Avampato

“Enlightenment is that moment when a wave realizes it is the ocean.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

We have more options than we think we do. I had two great back-to-back conversations yesterday that helped me realize just how many possibilities are open to me and how to bring them to fruition. It was one of the most empowering and hopeful afternoons I’ve had in a long time. Those conversations didn’t change any of my circumstances; they just helped me see things in a different way. They changed my mind and my perspective; in other words, they changed everything.

creativity

In the pause: Developing your gifts is mandatory

Christa Avampato

“People don’t develop their gifts because they want to, but because they have to.”

That’s how a conversation with Brian started recently. We were talking about the idea of using painful and upsetting experiences to become better people. I told him that I wished it didn’t take a burning platform to evolve and he explained that so often that burning platform is the spark we need to take action and grow. In other words, “if you’re going through hell, keep going.” (Hat tip to Winston Churchill.) So if you’re going through something that’s difficult right now, there is an enormous and shiny silver lining: once you’re through it (and I promise you if we just keep going, we do get through all of our difficult times), you will emerge as someone who is braver, stronger, and better than you were before. Your gifts will get you there. It may not be fun, but it will be worth it because once you have your gifts, you have them forever.