Tag: learning

creativity

Wonder: Finding your way forward thanks to Edward Albee

Christa Avampato

“Sometimes it’s necessary to go a long distance out-of-the-way in order to come back a short distance correctly.” ~Edward Albee

Yesterday when I learned about the playwright Edward Albee’s passing, this is the first quote of his that came to my mind. Maybe you feel like you’ve taken a step back on some area of your life. Maybe you’re frustrated because you don’t think you’re making the progress you’d like to make. I understand. I’ve been there so many times. And I can tell you this: life often takes us the long way around because it has something to teach us that we can only learn by taking a journey. The only way I’ve found to survive this without losing my mind is to make every effort to learn as much as I can wherever I am. That perspective has made all the difference for me, and I hope it will for you, too. And Mr. Albee, thank you for teaching all of us about finding our path, boldly, bravely, and honestly.

creativity

Wonder: Back to school

Christa Avampato

The Tuesday after Labor Day was always the first day of school for me when I was a kid. This time of year always feels like the New Year to me. I look forward to Fall all year, and I’m looking forward to it more than ever this year. Apple and pumpkin in everything. Boots and sweaters. Beautiful leaves. Crisp, fresh air. A feeling of hopefulness. I’m excited to see what it holds for all of us, whether we’re in school or not.

creativity

Wonder: Pay attention to your discomfort

Christa Avampato

“If you feel like you don’t fit in, in this world, it is because you are here to help create a new one.” ~Jocelyn Daher

We do everything we can to alleviate discomfort. I’m not talking about making yourself some chicken soup (or a giant bowl of ice cream) when you’re feeling sick. I mean that we will say and do things (or not, as the case may be) against our better judgement for the sake of avoiding discomfort or in an effort to fit in. My friend, Sara, posted the quote above and it is exactly what I needed to hear.

Discomfort is a great gift. It tells you where you shouldn’t be and what you shouldn’t be doing so that you move on and go where you’re needed, wanted, and appreciated. Discomfort is the motivation to go, do, and be something different. Learn from it. Use it. Recognize that discomfort now is leading you to exactly where you need to be tomorrow.

creativity

Wonder: Know thyself and be happy

Christa Avampato

“Get back in touch with self-mastery because it’s the one thing that never goes away. You’re the one person you’re stuck with forever.” ~Mark Lack

I’ve been thinking a lot about ending and change lately, not in a sad way, but just as a natural part of life and evolution. In all this change, I’ve also spent some of my time thinking about what remains constant. It seems that almost everything and everyone shifts somehow. Faith can be shaken. Our minds can be changed. Our health, and the health of everyone we know and love, ebbs and flows. Neighborhoods turn over, for better or for worse.

Then I read this quote by Mark Lack and meditated on it. In my lifetime, the beat of my heart and the constancy of my breath are the only things I will always have and know everywhere I go. And that brought me a lot of peace and happiness. All the more reason to spend some time every day quietly getting to know exactly who we are at our core.

creativity

Wonder: Be an explorer every day

Christa Avampato

Since moving to our new apartment, Phineas has become a morning dog. He’s up at the crack of dawn, and that means I am, too. This morning we took a long stroll / walk / run past Union Station, the Folger, the Library of Congress, and on to the Capitol. Phineas was rolling around in all the grassy areas and greeting everyone who wanted to talk to him. He had the time of his life.

It reminded me that we are constantly explorers, everywhere we go, every day. We take in what’s around us, we learn, and we make the most of it.

creativity

Wonder: Journeys great and small

Christa Avampato

Journeys

Go slowly in taking the step;
and fast when counting stars.
Make music with your heels,
give back the place to Place,
sing to the sound of the road
and break the spiritful track
with your wide beliefs
in what passes underground
and rises wrung and right: unbound.

~Dolores Kendrick, 2002

In my new neighborhood, there is a sculpture by the metro stop called Journeys by Barbara Grygutis and it has a poem also entitled Journeys by the Washington poet laureate, Dolores Kendrick. I walked by it this morning with Phin and it gave me a magical, cosmic sense of well-being. While these last few months have been intensely stressful in many ways, I now feel a new chapter has opened.

I have so many stories to share in the coming days – about my moving day angel, the value of journeys great and small, taking time to play with puppies, lower chakras, and taking time to settle and root. I am taking it all in—the good and the challenging—and learning.

creativity

Wonder: You can build the door to your own future

Christa Avampato

door-to-heavenSometimes, you happen upon a door that leads you down a path you never knew existed. And sometimes you have to build a door for yourself and then pave the path you intend to walk. Yesterday, the latter happened to me. I built a door to my future and then walked through it. On the other side of the door was Notion Theory.

I’ve been kicking around my idea for Project Rubeus, a history-based ed tech product, for about two weeks and I met with Notion Theory, a development team who could actually build a small working prototype for me. The guys at Notion Theory are kind, whip-smart, and passionate about their work. They get the purpose of the project and its many applications. In under an hour, we all walked away over-the-moon excited about its potential. It involves heavy lifting in algorithm development, computational math, and machine learning, and it can be done in about 3 months for approximately $50,000. Those are very rough estimates, and now I’m working to find a way to piece together that money.

Sometimes we’re lucky enough to have our future find us. And if that’s not happening, then we have to go out there and build our future the way we want it to be. I’m rolling up my sleeves. This is going to get interesting.

creativity

Wonder: Find your tribe – A lesson from Teach for America

Christa Avampato
Screen Shot 2016-02-06 at 11.50.50 PM
At the main event for Teach for America’s 25th anniversary summit

There are so many things that I will say in the coming days and weeks about this weekend celebrating Teach for America’s 25th anniversary summit. I feel more hopeful – for the world, our children, and myself – than I have in a very long time. I also feel an urgency to speak up, show up, and never give up on the causes that matter most to me. One of those causes in ensuring that all children – particularly those like me who are low income and high potential – have an equal shot at building a life they love through obtaining a high-quality education. I spent the weekend surrounded by 15,000 people who have this same passion and drive, and it was nothing short of exhilarating to talk to them, hear from them, and be united with them.

My education saved my life. I am not unique in that. Education saves children all over this country every day. And it also loses them. It falls short and disappoints them. Significant gains have been made, especially here in D.C. which is the fastest improving urban school system in the country, but they are not enough. We still have so much to do.

We are only part of the way through our climb. This weekend I found people who can help me keep climbing, and whom I can assist in their climb. Find your tribe. Together we rise.

creativity

Wonder: The website Instructables teaches you to make anything

Christa Avampato
Paper collage "painting" by boddhi15 on Instructables
Paper collage “painting” by boddhi15 on Instructables

I’ve become mildly obsessed with paper collage work and I was looking for some new techniques to try. I somehow found my way to Instructables, a website that teaches you to do just about any DIY project step-by-step and gives you the chance to share your DIY process and knowledge. I’m kind of in love with it and the 2 million+ people who belong to the Instructables community.

Whether your passion is visual arts, cooking, gardening, sewing, party decor, or any and every other DIY project where the result is something you make, this site is for you. Learn, document, share, and be nice about it—those are the only guidelines on Instructables. There’s so much to learn and explore. No excuses for boredom!

creativity

Wonder: How the first movie we ever see shapes us as adults

Christa Avampato
The Secret of NIMH
The Secret of NIMH

Yesterday, Marc Maron had director Todd Haynes on his WTF podcast. They talked about the first movies they’d ever seen in a theater and how those movies shaped them. The first movie I remember seeing in a theater was The Secret of NIMH. I was 6. Right around that same time, my grandmother took me to see the original movie Annie. Those two movies shaped my love of powerful and personal narratives.

The Secret of NIMH fostered my already deep love for animals and my disdain for those who are cruel to them. The main character, Mrs. Brisby (a rat) was caring and compassionate, but also tough and brave. That was the first time I realized one person could be all of those things. She felt compelled to protect those she loved, and also to protect and rescue those who were being marginalized.

Annie showed me that we can define the word “family” on our terms, and demonstrated how music can unite people and move a story along. I also remember being completely wowed by the Indian character, Punjab, and I absolutely loved the dancing. If I close my eyes, I can still see that mansion. I couldn’t believe that anyone had a house that big and that extravagant.

I guess it’s no wonder that I ended up working in theater and environmental conservation, and why my passion for those causes continues to this day. It all started when the lights went down in a theater, and a light started to glow in me.

What was the first movie you saw in a theater and how did it shape you?