I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
It’s almost here!
The inaugural SXSW V2V conference in Vegas runs from August 12th – 14th. I’m giving 6 mentor sessions to new and would-be entrepreneurs on August 13th. Half of them are already gone. If you know someone going who might want to spend some time with me in one of my remaining sessions, send ’em on over to this link to sign up: http://mentor.sxswv2v.com/mentors/53.
Thanks y’all!
I’m excited to announce that I’ve accepted the invitation to be a mentor this summer at SXSW V2V in Las Vegas from August 11th – 14th. (For the official announcement of mentors, click here.) I love mentoring and am honored to play a part in shaping this important event and program.
What is SXSW V2V?
“SXSW V2V is the newest addition to the SXSW family of events, joining SXSW Music, SXSW Interactive, SXSW Film, SXSWedu and SXSW Eco. SXSW V2V is an extension and re-imagining of the legendary SXSW experience with an emphasis on the creative spark that drives entrepreneurial innovation. This four-day event brings the startup and venture capital communities together with the creative industries that have helped to make SXSW so special. V2V serves innovators and entrepreneurs from across all the industries at the core of the SXSW Family of events – technology, music, film, fashion, health, education, sustainability, and more – as they learn the skills, make the connections, and find the inspiration to take their ideas and talents to the next level. You can learn more by reading the FAQ.”
How does the mentor program work?
The goal is to give mentees a chance to ask career-related advice from a well-established professional. Mentees will be able to sign-up for mentor sessions prior to V2V.
How does the mentor program fit into V2V?
The mentor program will be the cornerstone of V2V. The goal is for experienced professions to personalized one-on-one counseling to less experienced professionals. Mentors will be will be available to counsel you on your ideas, projects, portfolios, pitches, startups, and aspirations.
Registration for V2V is now open. I’ll have more details on the mentor program as we get closer to the event. Stay tuned!
SXSW proposal time has arrived! I submitted my idea several weeks ago and its now live for your viewing (and voting!) pleasure. Anyone can vote. You will need to do a quick account set up if you’ve never voted before, and then all you need to do is hit that little thumbs up icon next to the any ideas you like.
Just click here to see my 1 minute video as well as a description of my presentation proposal “How SXSW Made Me Quit My Job to Work for Myself”. And then if you’re so inclined, click that thumbs up icon to the left of my presentation description to turn it green. I would love your support and thanks for your consideration!
This weekend I put together my SXSW 2013 speaking proposal. In a few weeks, public voting will open and you’ll be able to see all of the details of my proposal. As part of the application I made a one-minute Youtube video that details my 10 Commandments of Living a Life of Your Own Design.
I was inspired by Steve Jobs’s 10 Commandments which is pinned up at my desk. Months ago I promised you I’d make up my own and here it is. I had a good time making it and I hope to be doing more of these clips soon. Let me know what you think!
“Dream as big as you can.” ~ Ben Henretig
I attended my favorite panel at SXSW by accident. A lovely woman attended the yoga class I was teaching. When I told her that I teach through Compass Yoga, my nonprofit, she told me that I should go to the panel down the hall entitled Mother Goose Got Punk’d: Next Gen Storytelling. The panel consisted of photographers and filmmakers who dedicate their careers to telling the stories of mission-driven people and organizations. They offered practical advice, inspiration, and encouragement on how to drive home a message to support a cause.
After the session, the panelists headed to a lounge nearby for a meetup. I usually don’t talk to people after panels. I get shy and rarely feel comfortable rushing the table once the mike goes out. However, I loved this topic so much and wanted to meet the panelists to tell them about Compass. At the meetup, I spoke with Ben Henretig, Creative Director of Micro-documentaries, a company dedicated to helping nonprofits create short-form videos to illustrate their work.
I told Ben about Compass and found out that he is also a yoga and meditation teacher, has been to India to study, and really believe in the practice. “You have a system that heals people and this is the right time for it. Dream bigger and bigger and bigger and don’t give up.” I walked away from our brief conversation feeling both inspired and with a small inkling that this conversation served a very specific – to let me know that this is the right path, that there is no turning back, and that this cause is needed in the world. My favorite SXSW 2012 moment.
In our culture, snails are not considered valiant animals — we are constantly exhorting people to “come out of their shells” — but there’s a lot to be said for taking your home with you wherever you go.” ~ Susan Cain
There’s a big to-do going on in the media about having a solo life. Though I love people, I appreciate the solitude, peace, and balance of my independence. In all this reading about the virtues of flying solo, I also happened upon quite a bit of reading about introverts, a group of people I never thought of as my people. Until now.
I have a strong introvert side.
I’m learning is that it’s not the loud, crazy party I crave, but the times I spend with a few people whom I’m close to that mean the most to me. It take a tremendous amount of energy for me to get out there and be a joiner. I do it, but in my own way. I like to ease my way in, choosing my interactions wisely and my general MO is to find a person or two in a crowded room who seem friendly and approachable. Barging my way into a group to be the life of the party just isn’t my style. I always felt a bit badly about that until I recognized the power that a thoughtful, well-tended connection can create.
SXSW 2011 was no exception. This is exactly how I proceeded through the crowd that numbered over 20,000 people. I found my way one person at a time, and in the process met so many people who I’m thrilled to see again this year. I could have gone against my nature and tried to be the extreme extrovert that many festivals like this ask you to be. SXSW made it possible for me to proceed at my own pace, in my own time. Despite all the fanfare around the big parties, there’s a way to personally connect and interact with others around every corner.
On the surface this might sound surprising since the interactive festival is all about technology. On the New York City subway, people into technology are the ones so consumed by their devices that they forget how to act like human beings. At SXSW, it’s different. We love technology. We’re mildly obsessed with it, but mostly as a means to an end, to make a human contact. Here, there’s a way to carve our own path. All we need is the willingness to try.
Introverts welcomed.
“My friends are my estate.” ~ Emily Dickinson
I had a blast as a presenter at SXSW Interactive 2011. Because of the financial and time costs of my big trip to India this year, I decided not to attend SXSW 2012. However, the Universe had other plans to get me my cake and a giant fork to eat it, too.
It took a fantastically generous group of people to get the job done, but it happened. Next month, I’m heading back to Austin to teach yoga, to extol its incredible benefits to the tech community I love being a part of, and of course to keep it weird.
The incredible Ari Stiles, founder of the SXSW yoga movement, didn’t give a hoot about my plans to not attend SXSW Interactive this year. She invited me to teach with her and secured my badge for the event. I told her I just didn’t know if I’d be able to attend but I’d think about it and get back to her as the event’s date drew closer. She sent me an email with a smiley face. I think that was her very Austin way of saying, “See you in March.”
A few weeks alter, during a pep talk with my friend, Poornima, I was offered the next sign on my SXSW 2012 journey. “Christa, don’t count out SXSW yet. It’s a great place for you to network for Compass. What better place is there to find partners and supporters?” She had a point. The light started to break through the clouds.
A few days later, I had dinner with another supportive friend about my long-shot possibility of going to SXSW 2012. Like Ari, she gave me a wide smile and offered to help in a big way. She saw to it that I would have a great place to stay that was conveniently located near the Convention Center where SXSW takes place. No car, shuttle, or bike required.
And then there’s Rob, one of my extraordinarily gifted partners in crime at Compass Yoga, who, when I explained Ari and Col’s generosity along with Poornima’s advice, said in a very matter-of-fact manner, “Let’s see if we can get you there for free. I’ll take care of your plane ticket as my contribution to Compass.” I about fell on the floor.
The Universe won – I had run out of excuses. There must be something waiting in Austin for me, just around the bend. A message I need to hear, a person I need to meet, an idea I need to take up in pursuit of my own dream to transform healthcare as we know it into a humane, socially conscious, and efficient system that believes that the surest way to better health is through personal empowerment. Austin, I’ll be seeing you next month thanks to the efforts of these 4 wonderful people whom I’m so blessed to know, and beyond blessed to call my friends.
I’ll find a way to pay forward all this generosity. In the meantime, if you’re at SXSW, stop by and get your yoga on:
Friday, March 9th from 2:00pm – 3:00pm – core conversation composed of mini private sessions tailored to you
March 9th – March 13th, 9:30am – 10:30am – group classes
Connect to me on SXSocial – click here.
At SXSW I had the great accidental pleasure of hearing Gary Vaynerchuk speak. To be honest, I had no idea who he was until SXSW. He was making an appearance at an event I went to early on at SXSW and I like the title of his new book, The Thank You Economy. During one time block at SXSW I wasn’t quite sure which session to go to and when I saw Gary was giving a keynote, I decided to go over and check it out. I didn’t know that I’d be in for such a treat of a stand-up comedy routine coupled with good sound business advice that I’ve been truly taking to heart for the past decade. Gary’s talk was a great validation of the way that I’ve approached having an opinion in the workplace: “Be on Record.”
Lessons from Broadway
When I was in my early 20’s, I was one of the first people hired to put together the Broadway show The Full Monty. There’s a lot of excitement around a new show; everyone is optimistic and the sky’s the limit. Immediately upon the Broadway opening, we started putting a tour together. Contrary to trends at the time, our booking agent was setting up 3-6 month sit downs in very large markets like LA, D.C., Philly, and Chicago. This made me nervous. I was a fan of doing shorter runs, selling them out, and then returning to the city at a later date to cash in on the first success. It’s a more conservative approach and I felt badly being a naysayer to the excitement of the tour beginnings so I became a no-sayer, meaning I shut my mouth and just went along with everyone else’s opinion to book the long engagements.
The situation goes south
As the tour got going, the long engagement idea was not going well. We couldn’t sell enough seats in Toronto, our first stop, so we had to schedule a few weeks of lay-off before heading to Chicago, our second city. During our run in Chicago, the September 11th tragedy struck and the bottom fell out of the theatre industry. The show was canceled and would not be sent out again until the following summer, with new producers and many of the actors, crew, and logistics switched up. And shorter engagements. While the producers cast the blame to the tragedy of September 11th, that was only an easy scapegoat. Truthfully, we couldn’t make the long stays work because we couldn’t sell enough tickets in advance of each city. The engagements needed to be shorter. I was right, and got no credit for my opinion because I didn’t say a word as the tour was being set up. I was just an employee following orders. At the ripe old age of 25 I learned a very valuable lesson that a decade later is more relevant in my life than ever. Being on record, even if my opinion isn’t shared by anyone else, is a valuable thing to do.
A second chance to learn a lesson
The Universe has a way of testing us. My friends Derek has said to me that the Universe is a very generous place – it gives us the same lesson over and over again until we learn it and don’t need to go through it any more. The Universe gave me another go this week when someone asked me to get the IP of a start-up I work with so that I could pass that IP on to a corporation that would build the exact same capability in-house and not need to pay the start-up for a partnership. I could have done it, lost my personal integrity, and been praised for a job well done. I didn’t. I went on record saying that I wouldn’t do that to the start-up who was working so hard to get a very good idea to take hold. They needed to be compensated for their IP. It didn’t win me any points with the powers that be, but I got to keep my integrity and sleep well at night.
And a third chance to make sure the lesson really sticks
Then the very next day I was asked to talk about a recent service that my company launched that I frankly find embarrassing. The customer experience is awful and it’s just a copycat of a service that one of our competitors has. For over a year I have been on record about how the service should have been fixed before being launched to the public. Either the feedback fell on deaf ears or they just disagreed with me. Regardless of the reason, when I read the analyst reports and blogs and was asked to comment on the launch at my staff meeting, I felt vindicated. The analysts and heavy-hitting blog writers said the same things I’ve been saying for over a year. I didn’t resort to a childish “I told you so” but felt that I could speak from a place of confidence because I have been on record with my opinions for many months. And again, I could also keep my integrity and sleep well at night.
The trade-offs of being on record
At the outset, it can be hard to be on record. It’s sometimes not a popular move. It can certainly stall your career at a company or get you fired if people in power don’t like your opinion. I’m okay with that. I’d rather be a person of conviction than a person who just says, “yes, sir” and falls in a line not of my own making. Mine is a more difficult road. Sometimes it’s lonely, and in the short-term it may not earn me a spectacular salary or a fancy title. However, when it’s all said and done I’d rather have to walk away having said my piece than get a seat at the table where everyone just nods in agreement. Integrity isn’t a trait; it’s a choice we make every day, at every moment.
One of my favorite SXSW features is Knitta, Please, a now-large scale project begun by Magda Sayeg in her then-home of Houston. Everywhere she looked it was gray, and as a dedicated artist she wanted to infuse her environment with handmade color. She didn’t have paint. She had something better – yarn.
I first learned about the project at a commercial shown prior to a documentary screening at SXSW. My favorite line from Magda – “you don’t knit for hate. This is a goodness project.” And the world needs more goodness. In 2005, she started Knitta, Please, an organization dedicated to incorporating woven graffiti into urban environments. The work of the Knittas can now be found on 5 continents. The variety of pictures on her website’s gallery speak for themselves. Hop over there and take a look.
To earn more about Knitta, Please, check out their website and blog. How might your art help to bring more color to the world in a meaningful way?
I snapped the photo above in the green room at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW and posted it to my Tumblr photo blog. And yes, it did make me think about how many places in the world need more art.
Being a presenter at SXSW was an incredibly exhilarating experience. I get a little teary eyed when I think about how awesome it was to be there. I cannot thank the dedicated SXSW team enough for all of their hard work and their generosity in having me be a part of such an incredibly talented group. It was humbling to be with such a creative set of people. I also owe a huge hug of gratitude to the 40 amazing people who attended the session at SXSW, and a special thanks to friends Amanda, Jordan, and Colleen for the personal support they offered before, during, and after the presentation. Namaste in the highest – the light that is in me honors the light that is in all of you. Thank you a million times over.
I presented on the topic of Taming the Monkey Mind: Yoga and Creative Focus. Here are some notes on the session, complete with references and links that I hope you will find helpful. As always, would love comments, ideas, suggestions, additions, questions, etc. Fire away!
Main points:
Awareness – This is the moment we so often miss. Yoga and meditation help us to be right where we are.
Thank you Albert Einstein, one of history’s great yogis: “It’s not that I’m smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Yoga and meditation help us sit with our challenges longer. This is how we get to our breakthrough ideas.
“Gut feeling” is rooted in intuition and in neurology. We actually have more nerve endings in our gut than we do in our brains. (Isn’t that crazy???) Prajna is the Sanskrit word for wisdom, the knowing before knowing. This is the philosophy of the gut.
When we sleep, the rational mind disconnects and that’s why we often have odd dreams that connect our thoughts and experience is strange ways. These strange connections are often what help us develop our creativity. They help us see things in new and different ways that we can’t when we are awake and active because our rational minds often block them. This is why sleep, rest, and idle time are so crucial to the creative process.
We have 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts per day. (This fact still shocks me!) And still, the quiet mind is actually always present within us. Yoga and meditation help us to clear away the frantic thoughts so we can experience the quiet.
Meditation practices:
Nadi Shodhana – this is a very powerful breath practice, pranayama, that helps to balance the body and the mind by closing off one nostril for a pull inhale and exhale and then switching to the other nostril. When first practicing it, it can feel a bit scary and the heart may race slightly. If that happens, just rest with both nostrils fully open. You can also open the closed off nostril slightly if that helps to ease the anxiety.
Awareness Breathing – Sit in a comfortable position, allow the palms to face up toward the sky with the back of the hand comfortably resting on the knees. (The Sanskrit word for hand positions are called mudras and this one is the mudra of receptivity.) Be aware of the sounds around you; allow them to just be. Feel your body resting into the Earth and the Earth supporting you in return. If after a few minutes, your mind still feels busy count “1” picturing the number one fading in with the inhale and fading out with the exhale. This method of counting “1” can also be practiced in Savasana (final relaxation posture at the end of a yoga practice) if you feel any anxiety about the yoga class ending and having to return to the outside world. Stay in this practice as long as you’d like. With practice you may find that you are able to sit for longer periods of time with a very clear mind and that the effects of the meditation stay with you for longer stretches of time after you complete your practice.
Other practices to enhance your creativity:
Dimitri, one of the awesome SXSW volunteers and an attendee of our SXSW session asked what else he could try in addition to yoga and meditation to enhance his creativity. Beyond yoga and meditation, these are some other practices that may help you find more peace and tranquility which in turn will help you hone your creativity further:
Kirtans – I started going to kirtans as part of my yoga teacher training. Kirtans are gatherings of people who sing and play percussion instruments, many of them of Indian origins. You can join in the music (it’s very much an improvisation) or just be there as a silent observer, however you feel most comfortable. I’ve found kirtans to be truly transformative and healing events. I highly recommend giving them a try. To find one near you, just do a Google search of “kirtan + [the city or town you live in]”
Pilates – Pilates is a physical practice that focuses on strengthening our core abdominal muscles. The chakra, or energy center, within our core is the seat of our creativity and strengthening this area of the body has a wonderful effect on our creativity. Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates in the 1920’s and has its roots in yoga.
Writing / Journaling – It’s been said that all burdens can be bourn if you can put them into a story. Whenever I am upset about something or at a loss of how to proceed, I find that writing out the problem helps to release my anxiety about the situation and clears my mind. This practice may help you as well. Try it and see if it works for you, too.
Nia – Nia is a sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness and fitness. It empowers people of all shapes and sizes by connecting the body, mind, emotions and spirit. For more info on a class near you, check out http://www.nianow.com/
References:
The Journey from the Center of the Page (Thanks, Amanda!)
Breath Pacer iPhone app (Thanks, Veronica!)
Stretch: The Making of a Yoga Dude (Thanks, Neil!)
New York Zen Center from Contemplative Care
Books on Chinese Medicine by Dr. Nan Lu OMD have extensive information on the mind-body connection as well as the intelligence of the body
Christa Avampato 