Tag: travel

creativity

Wonder: An artist at work in Trinidad, Cuba

Christa Avampato
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Photo I took of an artist at work in his studio in Trinidad, Cuba

I snapped this photo in Trinidad, a city in central Cuba that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was late at night and the only light that flowed onto the street was from his studio. He was hard at work despite the late hour, and that resonates with me. We create when and where we can,  and it’s often in these quiet, solitary moments that we can most clearly channel our inspiration and get it all down so that we might share it with the world.

I love to see artists at work in their environments because the location invariably has some impact on the art. Is an artist trying to create his way out of an unfortunate situation? Is she inspired by what surrounds her as she creates? Does he create in spite of the environment or because of it? I love art for this reason: there are always more questions.

creativity

Wonder: 19 (Cuban) seconds for a photo

Christa Avampato
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The duo who took my photo in 19 (Cuban) seconds

“Get an old-fashioned photo!” the young man called to me in Parque Central in Old Havana.

“How long does it take to develop?” I asked.

“19 seconds.”

I should have known better. Everything in Cuba takes a long time. Every. Little. Thing. No one is in a hurry to do anything or go anywhere. In Cuba, even time takes time. People say it’s frozen in time in the 1950s. I’d go back much further than that.

What I didn’t realize is that we weren’t paying for a photo. We were paying for the experience of having the photo taken. An old man and a young man had a ramshackle camera, the likes of which I’d never seen. Jerry rigged from old parts gathered from discarded items (reduce, recycle, reuse, again and again and again is a way of life in Cuba), we watched in wonder over the 19 minutes, not the 19 seconds it took to snap and develop the photo. The show was worth every penny if the 2 bucks we paid, and then some.

This was always the way all over Cuba. You don’t pay for goods, you pay for the experience you gain and the time of the people you meet gathering the goods. You invest in the people and their ingenuity. Once you make that mental leap, waiting isn’t an inconvenience nor a chore in Cuba. It’s an honor, a gift, and a pleasure.

creativity

Wonder: Serve your inner child

Christa Avampato
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Picture I took of a young child and a dancer in Korimakao, a small artist colony for young people outside of Viñales in north-central Cuba

“The most important people in Cuban culture are children,” said our guide. And that made me tear up. What if that were true everywhere? What kind of world would we have then?

So much of our society is geared toward growing up. It’s a society built by and for adults, and for turning children into them. We don’t always celebrate children. We often don’t stand up for them. We don’t let them be who they are, but rather we shape them into who we want them to be.

Think about how we each treat our own inner child. Many times, we squash him or her. Too often we don’t let ourselves try things just for the fun of it, or fail at things, or experiment, or doing anything without it having some kind of practical purpose or end goal.

Maybe that’s why the connected world is flipping out over the mom in the Chubacca mask. She exhibited unbridled delight. When was the last time we all did that? Why have we given up on pure joy? Why isn’t that our goal? Why are we slaves to accomplishment, and not our own happiness? Let’s change that.

creativity

Wonder: The dream of Cuba

Christa Avampato
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Taxis in Havana

I got back into the U.S. yesterday after 10 days in Cuba. It was an adventure of color, texture, and movement. A time to learn, reflect, and grow in directions and in ways that I haven’t done in a long time. Completely disconnected from the internet, my phone, and the news, I could just live each day.

I stepped back into a time that was at once simpler and more complex. Parts of the journey were joyful and parts of it were stressful. Now that I’m back home, I wouldn’t trade any of it. It all led me to an increased level of awareness of opportunity, potential, and hope available to all of us.

Many pictures and stories to follow…

creativity

Wonder: The upside of exhaustion

Christa Avampato

My mind’s a little numb. My housing situation, work, and a hectic schedule have worn me out. So with my last bit of energy, I’m packing up my bags and flying off to Cuba where I won’t have any cell reception nor access to internet for over a week. It’s going to be an adventure – a time-warp in a foreign language, set in a foreign land, and surrounded by people I don’t know. And all I’ll have to capture my thoughts are pen, paper, and a camera.

In times like this I think it’s good to have a numb mind. I don’t have any space to worry about anything. I’m just going to hop on a plane and have a great time no matter what. I’m too tired to do anything but. While I wish I had some more energy, I have a feeling that the white sand, sun, and bright colors of Cuba will be exactly what I need. And I’m open to them. I’m ready to give myself over to the experience and whatever comes with it. This is the upside of exhaustion.

creativity

Wonder: Going to Cuba

Christa Avampato

People have asked me what I’ll be doing in Cuba next month. I just got the rundown of my itinerary. I can hardly believe that this is really happening! I’ll be taking pictures and sharing stories while I’m there (provided I can access wi-fi), and I’m hoping I can convince many of you to travel to Cuba, too! I’m so grateful to Yolo Travel, a local D.C. business, for organizing everything! http://www.yoloworldtravel.com/cuba/

Arriving in Miami a day early to enjoy one of my favorite U.S. cities! The flightto Havana leaves very early the next morning so I’ll be relaxing and resting up for the week ahead.

Day 1: Arrive in Havana early in the morning via charter flight. Spend the day and evening exploring Old Havana with dinner at a private restaurant. Then exploring the nightlife that the city has to offer.

Day 2: History tour of Old Havana. Visit to the fishing village Jaimanitas and the home of artist Jose Fuster, who has turned most of his home and most of the surrounding neighborhood into a work of art with mosaic tiles.

Then we’ll take a 4-hour drive to the scenic village of Vinales. Caving, hiking, and exploring the many agriculturally-rich fields are all on tap. Vinales is known for its local music scene so I’ll make sure to check that out!

Day 3: Tour of an organic farm in Vinales and meeting local farmers in the area. We’ll also learn the art of cuban cigar making from an expert cigar maker. In the afternoon, we’ll take a traditional Cuban cooking class with local chefs using all local ingredients.

Day 4: Drive to Cienfuego to tour that city and then make a visit to the Bay of Pigs. We’ll check out the museum there and then go snorkeling.

Day 5: We’re off to the colonial city of Trinidad, the best preserved city in Cuba. We will be able to sit with and learn from the caretaker of the Afro-Cuban temple to Yamaya. Trinidad is known to have the biggest live music scene and we’ll be exploring that along with taking salsa dance lessons.

Day 6: Hike to waterfalls outside of Trinidad in the Valley of Sugarmills – the perfect white sand beaches I’ve been dreaming about in Cuba for so long! Options to go snorkeling, scuba diving, and horseback riding. Then it’s back to Trinidad to relax and explore. That night we’ll have a bonfire on the beach and a meal prepared by local chefs in Trinidad.

Day 7: We’ll visit Manaca-Iznaga plantation in the Valle de los Ingenios where we will learn more about Cuba’s slave trade. Then we head to Santa Clara to learn about the life of Ernesto Ché Guevara, one of the most famous Cuban Revolutionaries. We’ll have lunch at a small family farm near Santa Clara and head back to Havana to enjoy a fun evening in the city.

Day 8: We have all day and night to explore Havana and take in everything that the city has to offer.

Day 9: We have breakfast and say goodbye to our guides and drivers before heading back to the U.S.

creativity

Wonder: I’m baaaaaack…

Christa Avampato

Hello all. It has been over a month since I’ve published to this blog and I want to tell you why I so abruptly took the longest break that I’ve taken in the 9 years since I’ve been writing it.

In March, I received a letter from a photography website threatening to sue me for using an image on a blog post four year ago. That’s right – a single picture, that I got from Pinterest, for a single post, 4 years ago, and I had attributed it to the artist. They never sent me a takedown notice. They just skipped right to suing me for thousands of dollars. By the grace of the universe, my friend, Amanda, connected me to a wonderful attorney who agreed to represent me, and it seems that the issue has evaporated. I haven’t heard a word from them since.

So, I’m back. This has been a wonderful time for me to creatively reflect on my writing and I’ve plowed a lot of time into a number of wildly creative projects including finishing a working draft of my novel, Where the Light Enters, getting one of my paper collages displayed in a gallery in D.C., continuing my writing for The Washington Post, planning a trip to Cuba (yes, CUBA!), and joining a film production company here in D.C. as an associate producer. All while keeping my day job at an education technology startup and being in the process of buying a condo here in D.C.

What I do want to make abundantly clear is that I’ve missed you. A lot. I miss the conversations back and forth. I miss hearing how you’re doing. I miss updating you on what I’m doing, seeing, and hearing. I’ve missed this outlet and I’m thrilled to be back. So here’s to you. Here’s to me. And I’m so glad we’re back together.

And to speak to the unfortunate photo incident of March 2016, all photos that you see on this site were either taken by me or for me. If you want to use any of them, you are absolutely free to do so. No questions asked. Just add a little attribution with my name and this website URL http://christaavampato.com. Let’s never be apart for that long again, okay? Okay.

creativity

Wonder: La Hora Loca

Christa Avampato
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Me dancing with the man on stilts during la hora loca

La hora loca is a Latino wedding tradition that reminds me of carnival. Just as the dance floor at my friends’ wedding in Puerto Rico this weekend was slowing down just a tad, a team of bold and brash drummers, followed by 2 men clad in colorful costumes on stilts, barged into the dining room. Giving out giant foam hats and head accessories, they wound their way through the tables and found the dance floor. Singing, laughing, clapping, and dancing with the crowd, they proceeded to conduct us for a solid hour in how to immerse ourselves in collective and rhythmic joy. It’s the best wedding tradition I’ve ever witnessed. It’s what a wedding, and life, is all about.

creativity

Wonder: Your growth is a gift to everyone

Christa Avampato

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“The greatest gift you have to give is that of your own self-transformation.” ~Lao Tzu

Try something new. Take a class. Go somewhere you’ve never gone before. Stretch your limits in ways you never thought possible. Invest in you. Because when you grow and evolve, a ripple begins that resonates with your community and moves outward into the world. What makes you better, makes everything better. And that’s a beautiful thing.

creativity

Wonder: Journey to who you are

Christa Avampato
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Rapper DDm at Renwick Gallery for Creative Mornings Washington, D.C.

“You find who you are by seeing it. It takes a journey to develop your voice.” ~Rapper DDm at Creative Mornings Washington, D.C.

I was blown away by the Creative Mornings event with DDm about the power of language. He redefined language as our entire presence – what we say, what we do, and how we look. Hundreds of creative people sat enraptured at 8:30am in the main room at the Renwick Gallery on Friday. We laughed and we learned, together. Language conveys who we are. To learn who we are, we need to explore.

So get out there, way out there. Leave your comfort zone. Try new things. Meet new people. Put yourself in a place that inspires you. Be around people who are proud of who they are, and who celebrate your unique perspective. Learn something that you’ve always been curious about. Create something beautiful. Be shiny. Do something that makes you smile for the joy it brings you. Find your voice, and use it.