“We can only ask questions that we have imagination for.” ~Toby Spribille, Lichenologist
This quote makes my heart grow three sizes. Grow your imagination. Ask bigger questions. It’s the only way we’ll evolve.
Category: creativity
Joy Today: An inclusive Valentine’s Day
I love that we have a holiday about love. I just wish it were more inclusive. Today, I hope you love the heck out of everything that makes you happy—friends, family, pets, animals, your city, books, your work, your creative projects, history, science, travel, art, curiosity itself. And I hope you get in some serious self-care and do something extra nice for yourself. That’s the kind of Valentine’s Day I’m into.❤️
Joy Today: Opportunity
Opportunity’s last words from Mars: “My battery is low & it’s getting dark.”
May we all have lives as rich with discovery and a final chapter as peaceful. We’re lucky to have known you, Opportunity, and to see this world through your eyes. Thank you for your service.
Joy Today: The detours are the journey
“Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” -Rumi
We’ll be disappointed. Things won’t go as planned. Try another route. Another idea. Another pitch. These failures are all material. The detours are the journey.
Joy Today: I’m now a licensed New York City’s tour guide
You’re looking at New York City’s newest licensed tour guide! I took my exam and got a 138 out of 150. I was so happy that I hugged Barbara, the proctor at the Department of Consumer Affairs. Huge thanks to my adventure posse, fellow guides, and fabulous friends Erin Hunkemoeller & Ashley Semrick for all their study advice and resources, and to Michelle Young Pasquet & the Untapped Cities crew for encouraging me to take this step. I can’t wait to create cool tour experiences in our shining city with all of you! If you’d like to know more about my tours, please get in touch at christa.avampato@gmail.com.
This is me at the very site of New Amsterdam where the difficult, complicated history of our modern day city began in 1626. In the background is the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island where my ancestors arrived from Italy 100 years ago.
Joy Today: My book becomes a semifinalist for ScreenCraft’s Cinematic Book Competition
My book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, made it into the semifinals of the Cinematic Book Competition with ScreenCraft. I’m ecstatic! One step closer to the possibility of Emerson Page going from page to screen. A million thanks to all of you cheering us on! Grab a copy of the book here: https://emersonpage.com/shop/
There were over 1,200 books submitted and we’re now a field of 128 books. This is such an incredible honor to make it this far and I’m over the moon about it. Congrats to all of the semifinalists. More news soon!
Joy Today: Keep showing up
If you work from the heart, the right place, the right time, & the right circumstances will arrive. Do the work, with passion & grace. Always be a student. Share, give, & grow. Keep showing up. Extend. Love. And be grateful for all of it. It’s all material. It all matters.
Joy Today: NYC’s Secrets & Lies celebrates 1 year at Caveat
A year ago I was flyin’; I had just finished the 1st show of NYC’s Secrets & Lies at Caveat with a sold-out crowd. I had no idea what I was starting but I’m so dang grateful to everyone who’s been a part of this journey, on-stage and in the audience. So many of you have been beyond supportive of this crazy idea and there’s no way I’ll ever be able to say thank you enough. This is a collection of our casts to-date and I just adore them all. How lucky I am that this show brought them all into my life! Their stories have inspired me, moved me, and made me fall in love with our city even more. Join us for our 1-year anniversary show on Thursday Feb 7th with another set of storytelling rockstars. Doors at 6:30pm. Show at 7pm. Click here to purchase tickets on Eventbrite.
Cast members:
January – Sarah Laskow, Michelle Young, Allison Chase, Carla Katz, Alex Neuhausen, Bridget Randolph
April – Adam Wade, Vicki Eastus, Suzanne Reisman, Carla Katz
June – Hannah Frishberg, Sabrina McMillin, Cindy Mullock, Emerie Snyder, Tija Mittal
August – Ashley Semrick, John Bucher, Erin Hunkemoeller, Tom Rowley, Leslie Goshko
October – Erin Leafe, Zak Martellucci, Alex Taylor, Michele Carlo, Julie Gaines
December – Justin Mugits (street artist Blanco), Jackie Peters, Vicki Eastus, Dustin Growick
Joy Today: Hear about my love affair with science at New York City’s Story Collider
I’m over-the-moon about being part of the New York City Story Collider show, My Love Affair with Science, on Tuesday, February 5th at Caveat. I’ll be talking about my long and winding road of a relationship with science and how we got to where we are today. Tickets on sale now: https://www.storycollider.org/shows/2019/2/5/new-york-ny-my-love-affair-with-science
Joy Today: Jewelry exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
I love to learn about objects of beauty that have personal and / or historical significance. Yesterday I walked around the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s jewelry exhibit with my mouth agape because every piece is just so beautiful. I was awestruck and joy-filled by beauty and it’s exactly what I needed. If you can get there, go. And if you can’t, you can see some of the exhibit online. I snapped these pictures of some of the items with their perfectly cast shadows.
Christa Avampato 