Category: creativity

creativity

In the pause: Today is a special occasion

Christa Avampato

“Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion.” ~Mary Engelbreit

We often think that to do something, we have to wait for the right time. I sometimes catch myself saying things like “when I get a few hours of uninterrupted time, then I’ll write that piece I’ve been thinking about.” The truth is that we have to take every moment we can get to do what we love. Sometimes that means just a small snippet of time, and sometimes it means we get an entire afternoon or day or week. We can’t wait for an ideal time for anything. We have now, and now is enough.

creativity

In the pause: Close some doors

Christa Avampato

“Close some doors. Not because of pride, incapacity, or arrogance, but because they no longer lead somewhere.” ~Paulo Coelho

In order to do what we’re meant to do, we have to choose to stop doing something else. This can be easier than it sounds. Maybe we’re leaving a door open out of perceived obligation or because we feel we have no other options. But too many open doors pulling us in opposite directions can wear us down. They can cloud our vision. They can cause us to grow numb to our passions. Closing doors is a part of chasing dreams.

It can be difficult to articulate our dreams; even harder to follow them, especially if the path to them isn’t clear. There will hardships, setbacks, and troubles. There will be joy, progress, and peace. The incredible highs and lows are all part of the journey. Don’t let the lows get you down. We need them to show us what really matters to us. Don’t let the highs make you over-confident; instead let them be a sign that yes, you are on the path that is meant for you. Keep traveling that path with diligence, persistence, and love. Close the doors that aren’t right for you, and close them with confidence. It’s the only way to live the life you really want.

creativity

In the pause: Sign up to get updates about my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters

Christa Avampato

I’m so thrilled that my novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, will be published this Fall by Thumbkin Prints, a new children’s and young adult imprint of Possibilities Publishing Company. I’ve recently updated the name of the Facebook Page for the book and I’d love for you to sign up for giveaways, special offers, and updates. Just go to https://www.facebook.com/AuthorChrista/ and click the blue “Sign up” button on the right side of the page. I can’t wait to share the progress on the book and Emerson Page’s story with you. Cheers to dreams fulfilled!

creativity

In the pause: Go where life is humming and time is flying

Christa Avampato

Ever been at work and watched the clock wind down? Every. Single. Minute. Ever felt like life is croaking rather than humming? Me, too. And here’s the remedy: get out. Get way out. Of your situation. Of your comfort zone. Of your own way. This past week has been one of the very best that I’ve had in a long time, and here’s why: I am living. Really living. Growing. Exploring. Writing. Getting it done. The really important work of connecting to others and to my own spirit. I am living out loud. Now my time is flying. Now my life is humming. I’m dancing, singing, and glowing inside and out, and will continue to do so.

creativity

In the pause: The number one beauty secret

Christa Avampato

“The secret to beauty is simple: ‘Be who you are.'” ~Bobbi Brown

This week I’ve been laser-focused on projects that light me up. I’m following my passions and curiosity in many directions. People keep saying to me, “Christa, you sound great. You look great. What’s going on with you?” Friends, it’s about happiness and empowerment. It’s about confidently standing in our own light and allowing ourselves to really be seen and heard. Now is always the time to be exactly, completely, authentically, and unapologetically who we are.

creativity

In the pause: Lift the weight of caring by doing

Christa Avampato

“Lift the weight of caring by doing.” ~State Farm Insurance

State Farm Insurance is running an initiative called NeighborhoodOfGood.com. It depicts a man who is watching his neighbors deal with homelessness, hunger, and disease. He feels burdened by these insights and then stumbles across a neighborhood center that offers mentoring to young people where he can volunteer.

I know many of you are struggling with the massive needs in the world right now. There is no shortage of them—hunger, health, homelessness, inequity, racism, poverty, and the list goes on and on. Don’t feel paralyzed by the enormity of the task. Get out there and do something for a cause you care about. State Farm’s site NeighborhoodOfGood.com can help you find a great opportunity to put your caring to work!

creativity

In the pause: We’re all hanging on

Christa Avampato

One of my elderly neighbors: “How you doing, young lady?”
Me: “I’m doing well. How are you?”
Neighbor (laughing): “Hangin’ on, baby. Hangin’ on. You know what I mean?”
Me: “Yes. Yes, I do.”

Lately I’ve felt like we’re all hanging on through the insanity that is this world today. And while that might sound dire, I think it’s actually beautiful in its own way. Over the past few months, I’ve had so many honest and passionate conversations with friends and strangers alike. For better or for worse, the state of our country has opened us up to speak our minds and to hear from others, too. We’re figuring out what really matters. We’re informed. We’re involved. And we’re staying that way. Hang on, friends, to each other and to what matters to you. This will all be worth it.

 

 

creativity

In the pause: Balance the two kinds of happiness

Christa Avampato

There are two kinds of happiness: the one that comes from instant gratification and the one that comes from the slow slog toward a desired goal. The first makes us happy in the here and now, but it usually doesn’t last long. The second makes us happy when viewed through the arc of life but in the here and now can be difficult and uncomfortable. I’ve found that I need a good balance of both to truly feel good about life.

Art, music, good food, time with my friends, my dog, and working out are all things that make me immediately happy. Writing, working on my entrepreneurial ideas, and learning something new that I’m not yet particularly good at fall into that second bucket. It’s not that I don’t get any joy from them in the near-term; it’s just that to feel truly happy about them I need to look at them through a longer lens and with a goal in mind.

Knowing about this balance helps me figure out how to allocate my time, effort, and energy to be happy at this moment and to ensure I’m happy down the line, too.

creativity

In the pause: The gift of time

Christa Avampato

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainty.” ~Erich Fromm

I was handed a gift. I didn’t know it was a gift at the time. It was packaged in something that wasn’t so lovely but when I opened it up and looked inside, I realized it was priceless. That gift is time—time to dream, to write, to dare to do something bold and brave and needed. I hesitated for just a moment right before taking the gift. I could feel the weight of it, the responsibility of it, because it is so rare and desired by so many others. And I plan to make good on it. I plan to use this time wisely and wonderfully to make this world a better place. The sun’s shining; I am madly making hay and smiling all the way.

creativity

In the pause: Be beautiful you

Christa Avampato

“She woke up every morning with the option of being anyone she wished. How beautiful it was that she always chose herself.” ~Tyler Kent White

There is something so beautiful about people who choose authenticity, who are exactly who they are in every setting, with every person, every time. It feels good to be with these people. They make us want to live out loud.

As you go through life, I hope you find these people, hold them close, and let yourself follow their example. Be who you are. Life is too short and too precious to waste your time trying to be anyone else. And the world needs you, exactly as you are, right now. Surround yourself with people and in settings that appreciate everything that you are and everything that you have to offer. Don’t settle for anything less.