Category: creativity

creativity

This just in: Art builds character, literally

Christa Avampato
One of my favorite paper collage inspirations
One of my favorite paper collage inspirations

“Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character.” ~Horace Greeley

I’ve been flipping through a lot of magazines recently gathering swaths of color for some paper collages I’m working on. The best paper materials come from the lush photography of advertising. It’s caused me to see that most of our ads make us crave 2 things: notoriety and possessions. Not a single one focuses on helping us become better people – kinder, more generous, more compassionate, more dedicated to others.

But art can do all of these things. It can and often does inspire us to become the very best version of ourselves. And so as I turn these paper ads into paper art, I hope that I’m doing something, however small, to transform the world around me.

creativity

This just in: Art All Night turned DC into Brooklyn

Christa Avampato

Last night I cruised around locations in Dupont Circle to see art, listen to music, and enjoy the more creative side of D.C. The event took place in 5 neighborhoods across the city. I wasn’t sure how many people would turn out for it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the crowds. It made D.C. feel like Brooklyn – a place where creativity is appreciated and celebrated. It’s exciting to be in a city that is getting its creative legs underneath it and working hard to be known as much for its cultural world as it is for its politics. Here are more details about the event: http://www.thedcarts.com/

Here are a few pics I snapped at some of the venues:

creativity

This just in: DC ZogSports Soccer is not casual

Christa Avampato
Zogsports DC soccer
Zogsports DC soccer

ZogSports DC casual soccer league is not casual. It’s not even close to casual. I think the team we played last night might be semi-professional complete with a playbook, calls, and drill practice several times per week. They were big, fast, and aggressive. Also, we only had two women instead of the required three so we had to play one man down. That means my friend, Logan, and I had to play the entire game. No break. No subs. It was rough. But we hung in there. And we’ll show up again next week. And that’s what counts. This one is a character builder for sure, and by November I’m going to have fabulous legs!

creativity

This just in: The one lesson I take from Pope Francis

Christa Avampato
Pope Francis in DC
Pope Francis in DC

Aside from celebrating the general spirit of Christmas, I’m not Christian. However, what I take from Pope Francis is one simple and powerful lesson: if all people everywhere took up the mantle of humility and service we would have a happier, healthier, safer, and more productive world. If we could spend some time every day putting aside self preoccupation for the sake of others, we’d all be better off.

creativity

This just in: The magic of music

Christa Avampato
The magic of music
The magic of music

My friend, mentor, and teacher, Ed Freeman, posted this image a few weeks ago and it really resonated with me. I’m now digging into Oliver Sack’s book Musicophilia. The book explores the neuroscience of music and all of the unknown reasons why music resonates so deeply with us.

Have you ever noticed that a song can take us back in time, that it can remind us of someone, something, or some place that we haven’t thought about in years? Music stores memories and unlocks them for us. I like to think of that power as the truest form of magic. Play on.

creativity

This just in: What our eyes teach us about life and healing

Christa Avampato
Image by Sean Brown
Image by Sean Brown

My fall allergies are kicking in a bit and I’ve been sneezing up a storm. I think this caused me to have a tiny blood vessel burst in my eye so I’m looking a little funny. My coworker Rachael, who studied the intricacies of eyes and vision in grad school, explained to me that eyes are fragile but they’re also masters of healing. And that made me think that eyes are a good metaphor for life. We get hurt, knocked down, and disappointed, and when that happens we feel fragile and broken. But if we hang in there and just give ourselves some time, love, and tenderness (to quote Michael Bolton!), we find that we can heal from anything. The eyes have it, and so do we.

creativity

This just in: The power of my new soccer cleats

Christa Avampato
My new power shoes!
My new power shoes!

I haven’t played a group sport in quite a few years but all that’s about to change when I start playing on a co-ed soccer team this week with Zog Sports DC. When I put on my new cleats and shin guards yesterday, I felt really powerful. And not because I think I’m going to become some brilliant spark of a player but because I’m about to do something so outside my comfort zone.

There’s something to be said for purposely going after experiences that scare the hell out of us. Once we try something new, we understand that on the other side of fear is freedom. GOOOOOOAL!

creativity

This just in: H Street Festival takes me back to Brooklyn

Christa Avampato

Today I went to the H Street Festival, a celebration of art, food, and culture in one of DC’s most diverse and interesting neighborhoods. It felt like I was back on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It warmed my heart to be among every walk of life in a city bustling and buzzing with creativity and happiness. Here are some of my favorite shots from the day!

creativity

This just in: Walls and tables

Christa Avampato
Love this!

My friend, Sofia, posted this beautiful quote and it really got me thinking how often we seek to defend what we have rather than share it with others. The truth is that the more we share of anything—ideas, wisdom, energy, patience, kindness, love, compassion, empathy—the more we receive. Scarcity of goodness is a complete myth. If we have the courage to give, we’ll find ourselves richer in the ways that matter—love, friendship, trust, happiness—than we ever thought possible.

creativity

This just in: Hidden Brain podcast coming 9/22

Christa Avampato

Last night my friend, Josh, and I attended the fabulous launch party for the Hidden Brain podcast at NPR’s headquarters. Hidden Brain starts on 9/22 and is hosted by Shankar Vedantam. It’s mission: to have a conversation about life’s unseen patterns. It’s grounded in science and based on the desire to better understand our own behaviors and the behaviors of others.

I’m loving Shankar’s book The Hidden Brain and am excited to tune in for his take on what really happens between our ears. There will be plenty of games and entertainment, lots of discovery, and an incredible amount of inquiry. He’s got an incredible slate of special guests lined up for his listeners! For some fun pics from the event, check out my Twitter and Instagram feeds! Here are a few of my favorites: