Tag: media

creativity

Take the risk and make something new

Christa Avampato
My Emerson Page books surrounded by good vibes from my favorite flowers, Kin Euphorics, and Homesick

This post is about the fear of criticism we all face whenever we do something new, and why it’s worth taking that risk.

Thanks to kind and generous readers, my second Emerson Page novel made her way into the world this week and became an Amazon # 1 new release. To say I’m grateful, honored, and filled with joy is a massive understatement. I toasted my courageous and creative girl and sent a wish out into the universe: “I want to keep telling stories that help people feel less alone”.

On Monday when I was doing all the final prep for Tuesday’s book launch, I had the TV on. Drew Barrymore was interviewing Bella Hadid on The Drew Barrymore Show. They talked about the bravery it takes to create something and put it into the world.

This conversation is exactly the one I needed at that moment. It’s scary to build something with your whole heart for years and then brace yourself for the response. The only thing scarier is not creating at all. 

Their conversation reminded me of the beautiful quote in the movie Ratatouille. The character Anton Ego has a monologue about the creative process and criticism, and it’s one of the truest things I’ve ever heard:

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and themselves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the *new*. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations. The new needs friends…Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist *can* come from *anywhere*.” 

If in the pit of your stomach there’s both a fire to create and a fear of what people will think of what you’ve made, please know everyone who’s ever made anything has been right where you are. Take the risk. Someone somewhere needs exactly what you have to offer. As the great Maya Angelou said, “Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: ‘I’m with you kid. Let’s go.’” It’s time to get going. Make the thing that’s in your heart, send it out, and see what happens.

creativity

The eBook of my young adult adventure novel is 99¢ through May 20th

Christa Avampato
https://www.amazon.com/Emerson-Page-Where-Light-Leads-ebook/dp/B0CTG9P6GM

A special treat for eBook fans! To celebrate the launch of my second novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, and as a big thank you for helping the book hit #1 on Amazon on its first day, my publisher is running a special price promotion for the eBook on Amazon. It’s $0.99 now through May 20th — an 80% discount. 

You don’t need a Kindle device to read the Amazon eBook. You can download the Kindle app on any phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop and read Kindle books on it. You’ll also be able to gift my eBook to others for $0.99.

A million thanks to everyone who helped me and Emerson reach this wonderful milestone! You are THE BEST!

creativity

My second novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, launches today

Christa Avampato
My new novel is available now everywhere books are sold

Today’s the day! My second novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is available now everywhere books are sold including Amazon (Paperback and eBook), Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and Books-A-Million.

Synopsis:
It’s New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Just as Emerson Page is about to celebrate the start of her 15th birthday, she comes face-to-face with a family friend-turned-traitor. They begin a dangerous race against time, both willing to give their lives for the lost treasure her mother died trying to protect: an ancient book authored by the Greek muses, Emerson’s ancestors, that contains the secrets to unlimited creativity. Its wisdom is both a powerful tool and a dangerous weapon.

To find the book, Emerson, her friends Skylar and Truman, and her service dog Friday, have to entrust their lives to a series of mythological creatures to usher them deep below the streets of Dublin, Ireland into the land of the faeries. There, they’ll have to convince the faeries to give them the book by exchanging it for a priceless gift of their own.

Can Emerson and her best friends finish the work her mother began and protect the power of human imagination forever, or will her enemy capture the book to boost his own power?

Two notes:
Local bookstores and libraries can order the book with ISBN: 978-1-958901-80-9. The book is distributed by Ingram.

Though Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads is a sequel to my first novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, readers don’t have to read the first book to enjoy the second.

creativity

My novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is an official selection at the 2024 New Media Film Festival

Christa Avampato
https://emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/shop/

Closing out the week on a high! I just found out that my upcoming novel, Emerson Page and Where the Light Leads, is an official selection for the 2024 New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles in June. One of my big goals for Emerson is to have her story made into a film or series so bumps like this within the film industry mean a lot. I’m grateful for this honor and I’m hoping I can get to LA for the festival in June.

On Coverfly, a platform that curates film, book, and media awards, my book is ranked in the top 34% of over 135,000 projects in all genres and formats, and top 19% of books and manuscripts.

Thank you to everyone who continues to champion Emerson and support me in my creative work. Your encouragement means everything to us.

On May 14th, the book will be available everywhere books and eBooks are sold. Pre-orders can be placed now on Amazon, Bookshop, and Barnes & Noble. The first book in the series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, is available now in paperback and as an eBook everywhere books are sold.

creativity

When milestones converge

Christa Avampato
Me on April 14, 2024

Yesterday was a big day for me, marked by many milestones:

I’ll be sharing more about all of this throughout the week. For now, I’m feel so much gratitude for all of this, and for the people who made all of this possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

creativity

Humans aren’t wired to protect nature—but that’s not the whole story

Christa Avampato
“People partner with nature”. I created this image with the help of Canva’s Magic Media AI tool 

As a storyteller and sustainability advocate I focus on people who aren’t committed (yet) to protecting nature because that’s where the greatest change happens. This means I’m often faced with people who deny climate change, feel hopeless, or think technology and / or someone else will restore the planet’s health. 

As you can imagine, I have to employ a number of tactics to remain optimistic and motivated. One way I do this is by listening to podcasts about people doing incredible work in nature. I’m passionate about rewilding, or as David Balharry, CEO of Scotland’s John Muir Trust, reframes it “nature’s freedom to repair itself”. This passion led me to Ben Goldsmith’s Rewilding the World podcast. Ben spoke to David in episode 1 of the second season. They discuss rewilding the Scottish Highlands, an area I’m hoping to visit this summer. 

The entire episode is enlightening, and one point in particular helped me. No species in history, humans included, has ever been hardwired to protect the planet. They (we) are hardwired to promote the successful perpetuation of our genetics. Said another way, at their base all living things first focus on their future generations surviving and thriving. This means people aren’t naturally focused on environmental conservation. It must be intentional. It’s a skill that takes practice. Therefore, the work I’m doing with naysayers, the hopeless, and technocrats is training and re-skilling them. I’m a teacher, a guide, and learning takes times. That reframe is helping me think about my work with more compassion and patience. 

I also want to be clear that our instinct for genetic survival is only part of who we are. Human beings have an enormous cerebral cortex unique (as far as we know) in the animal kingdom. Our brains simultaneously act and reflect on our actions to inform our future behavior and shape our thoughts. We can think long-term, imagine future scenarios, and bring them to fruition, even if we don’t always exercise that ability as deftly as we could. 

Our long-term planning capabilities make us unique and distinct from other species. This doesn’t mean we’re smarter, wiser, or superior. It means we have a responsibility to be conscientious global citizens who care for each other and future generations, other species with whom we share this planet, and ecosystems that make our existence possible. 

Over half of our global GDP depends on nature, in addition to providing our basic needs for clean air, water, and food. We can’t live without nature. If we’re thoughtful about our behavior, we can help nature help us. Scientist Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s research shows humans can assist and enhance nature’s regeneration. That’s a partnership and story well worth the investment of our time, efforts, and money. 

creativity

Second season of JoyProject podcast in the works

Christa Avampato
https://christaavampato.com/joyproject/

Season 2 of my podcast JoyProject is in the works!

In 2022, I started this podcast to ask people what brings them joy and share our conversations with listeners so they feel like they’re at the table with us. I booked the guests, recorded and edited all the episodes, and did all of the marketing and promotion. Joy was a big part of my daily care plan when I was going through cancer treatment during the pandemic in 2020–2021, and I wanted to create a podcast that amplified joy in its many forms and the healing it provides.

With my Masters program at University of Cambridge and my book launch this spring, I had to hold off on a second season of JoyProject because I didn’t have the time to do it well. Later this year, I’m going to release another season and I’m now in the story planning phase for it. I’m very excited to get back to it and can’t wait to find and meet the new guests.

I’d love for you to listen and let me know what you think. You can hear the first season here or anywhere you listen to podcasts: https://christaavampato.com/joyproject/

creativity

Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith

Christa Avampato
Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith

If you’re interested in rewilding—the practice of restoring and protecting wild places and the many species who call those wild places home — the podcast Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith is incredible. Ben speaks to some of the most influential people behind the most exciting and dramatic rewilding projects across the globe including Turkey, the Balkans, Chile, Argentina, Africa’s Sahel, India, England, Scotland, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Western North America, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, the Sinai peninsula, Transylvania, Carpathia, Romania, and the Great Plains of the U.S. (What a list!)

Not only has this podcast further ignited my passion for rewilding and the promise it holds to make this a healthier, more sustainable world for all beings, but it’s also grown my list of places to travel to, my reading list, and my desire to care for wild places in any and every way I can. In a world that’s often dark and difficult, rewilding is a bright light of hope and joy that shows us what’s possible when we realize we are a part of nature, not apart from nature. 

Right now there are 20 episodes to enjoy, and Ben will be back again with a fresh set of episodes in early 2024. I’m so grateful for his efforts and the work being done by all of his inspiring guests.

creativity

Games and Climate Action at the UN’s inaugural Games and SDG Summit

Christa Avampato
United Nations HQ in NYC – Games for Change

I spent my first year at University of Cambridge researching and writing about the role of video games to encourage climate action. I was fortunate to collaborate with the incredible team at ustwo Games on this work, especially Jennifer Estaris who is a shining star in the games for good space. They are a group of passionate, talented, and deeply committed people. Through our work, I realized that video games can and will play a part in building a healthier, more joyful, safer, and more sustainable world.

Games are for everyone. They unify people across cultures, continents, and every demographic designation. Their stories are timely and timeless. They allow us to reconcile with our past, make sense of our present, and simulate our future with a high degree of accuracy and an abundance of empathy. They help us not only to imagine a better and brighter future, but also create the roadmap to get there. Games can do what so many other tools can’t: they can transcend politics, cross the chasm of experience, and help establish common ground. They are a map, a compass, and a guidebook to the very highest calling of humanity—to be humane to all beings.

Today I’m at the United Nations for the inaugural Games and SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Summit at the UN Headquarters, the kick-off to the 20th Games for Change Festival. I’m honored to be invited with industry professionals, government officials, and sustainable development experts, and look forward to all of the incredible conversations, ideas, and ambitions that will flow through each and every person in the room. Together, we’re building the path to higher ground, and I can’t wait to see what we find. 

creativity

I’ll be at Games for Change 2023 as press

Christa Avampato
https://festival.gamesforchange.org/

I’ll be attending this year’s Games for Change festival in New York City in July with press credentials. I’m a freelancer so I’m looking forward to submitting pieces to a number of publications. If you’re interested in having me write for your publication, please get in touch at christa.avampato@gmail.com.

I spoke at the festival a decade ago for the 10th anniversary when I was with Sesame Workshop managing the National STEM Video Game Challenge. At this year’s 20th anniversary, I’m looking forward to meeting and learning from all of the attendees, and being inspired by how games are helping to build a better world for all beings. I’m particularly interested in games and developers focused on climate issues and the environment.

If you’ll be there, let me know. I’d love to meet you, and hear about what you’re doing. You can reach out to me at christa.avampato@gmail.com.