Category: writer

simplicity, writer, writing

The hard work of simplicity

Christa Avampato

I have been working on a few projects that require one simple thing: simplicity. While we crave it, work for it, buy all kinds of books and gadgets that claim to be able to make our lives simple, simplicity often alludes us. Recently, I sat with a team member to craft a memo. She kept adding, and adding, and ADDING to it. Finally I said, “Stop. Turn away from the computer. Tell me what you want to say.” She could articulate her ideas well when speaking to me and the moment she sat at the computer, she hid behind an excess of words.

I found a quote later that day that gets at the very essence of good writing, and solid editing. “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. ~ Hans Hofmann.” And that’s it in a nutshell – that is the motivation of every writer, and every editor, in one succinct sentence. To get to the diamond, you need to polish it, and that means removing the unnecessary layers.

It’s easy to understand why we think simplicity should be simple. It’s not – it’s an art that must be practiced. It can be painful. Simplicity is work. We are complex creatures – emotions, biases, past experience, and a deep need to be understood all stand in our way. The work of an editor is to clear the path. To soothe emotions and biases, while preserving and honoring history and the ability for us to influence and affect one another.

As a quick guide, I do the following four things when I feel simplicity getting away from me:

1.) I audibly articulate the nugget of truth I am trying to convey. And then I write it down verbatim. I start from there. 

2.) I eliminate every word I can without losing the sentiment I want to convey. This can mean many different types of rework: from restructuring a sentence to finding a descriptive word that can speak for a number of smaller words.

3.) I step away from the writing, even just for a few minutes. Sometimes to get out of the hairball in our writing, we have to physically step away from it. 

4.) I only write when I am crystal clear about my motivation for writing, the channel I am writing for (print, blog, brochure, presentation, etc.), and the audience I am trying to reach. This is the framework on which we hang every word.

Wishing you simplicity and good editing, in writing and in life!

Graphic above found at http://www.simpledorm.com/images/simple.gif

blogging, career, New York Times, sleep, time, work, writer, writing

The occupational hazard of blogging and other creative outlets

Christa Avampato

This week, the New York Times ran a story on three prolific bloggers who, it is believed, blogged themselves to death. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/technology/06sweat.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=media) The stress of the constant need to publish as quickly and as often as humanly possible caused them to fall into poor health. Several friends immediately sent me the article, knowing that I try as best as I can to publish daily on my own blog. I don’t always make it, though I am always on the look out for new content and new ideas.

I feel terrible for the families and friends of these writers, the oldest of which was only 60. It is always tragic to see anyone consumed by what they love. I read the article closely, several times, and there are a few things that on the surface I feel may have saved these people. I hope by sharing them with you that they may help other people who feel obsessed with their jobs for whatever reason.

I completely understand insomnia – I’ve suffered with it for most of my life. I understand anxiety about money – I grew up in a family with very little, and only recently have been able to breath a bit easier about my finances. There were a few huge things in my life that have made a difference in my level of anxiety – I consciously decide to not be a workaholic, and I practice yoga every day, no matter how short an amount of time.

When I worked in DC, some of my office mates would make fun of me because at 5:30, nearly every day, I was out the door. I would feel angry about their teasing sometime, though most of the time I let it go. My mom works herself to the bone. I mean to the absolute brink. It was painful for me, as a kid, to watch her. A year and a half ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and from her recovery bed, she was on her computer. Some call this dedication. There’s no denying my mom is a dedicated woman; unfortunately, she is dedicated to a fault. A very large fault, that very easily could cost her, and her children, her life.

Even today, I will come in early, I will work on things at home at night, but I never, and I mean never, allow myself to fall into the habit of staying in the office past 5:30. On occasion, I get it – deadlines pop up, and an occasional late night is necessary. When I went looking for a job after business school, I was adamant about finding one that afforded me a life and time to live it. This is a conscious choice – I ALWAYS have more work, I could always be doing more. I choose to let it lie for the next day. I could very easily become a workaholic; it’s in my blood. I fight that temptation every step of the way, and I refuse to back down in the face of my impulse to work “just a little bit more”.

Yoga, quite honestly, saved my life. It helped me forgive a lot of sadness and disappointment. It helped me cope during times of extreme stress. It gave me the strength to get up, again and again, with an open heart. It is a discipline. After years of practice, I can sleep, in relative peace. And when I can, where I can, I am out in the world singing yoga’s praises, sharing my knowledge about it. Everyone needs a healthy release – yoga is mine.

Anything in the world can get the best of you – food, drugs, gambling, smoking, love, an obsessive hobby, and yes, work, no matter what field you’re in. You have more control over you than anyone in the word, whether you realize it or not. At every moment we have a choice. If we are doing something, anything, that harms us, it’s easier to blame someone else. Our boss, our romantic partner, our friends. The truth is others control us when we allow them to. Ultimately, our happiness, the very activities that compose our lives, are all choices. And choosing what to do among many options is the hardest, and most important, task we have. I consciously remind myself every morning that my time is the most valuable resource in the world, and I treat it accordingly.

art, career, job, writer, writing

A life in pictures

Christa Avampato

I’ve been impressed with The New Yorker’s Cartoonist of the month blog. February chronicled the journey of Michael Maslin as he made his way as a cartoonist. After pouring through his favorite publications, The New Yorker in particular, he would submit idea after idea and would be rejected continuously. 

Early on he was offered a weekly gig with The Soho Weekly, and when he asked a mentor for advice, he said he’s be crazy not to take it. Mr. Maslin politely turned them down. He was saving himself for the publication he truly coveted, The New Yorker. 
When your career’s success requires someone else to accept your work, it may be tempting to take the first thing that comes along that carries any kind of paycheck. Especially in fields like art that are so competitive, there’s a sense that you should be grateful if anyone takes a second look. Though just as it’s important for consumer products makers to consider what channels they want to sell through, it’s also important for artists to consider the best showcases for their work. There’s something to be said for the old adage “you are whom you associate with.” 
For Michael Maslin’s full journey, visit http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/cartoonists