Tag: truth

creativity

Someday is Today: Moving Into the New Year Without Fear

Christa Avampato

In November 2025, a college friend of mine passed away. He was just two years older than me. He had recently decided to leave his long-term job, where he’d been very successful, to finally pursue a passion project in this next season of his life. Six months later, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Eighteen months after that, he was gone. He was so young, and his battle was both short and harrowing.

If you could know how and when your life would end, would you want to know? And what would you do with that information? How might you live differently when you know the end?

Start at the End

When I write anything, I either write backwards or, at least, with the end in mind. That’s also how I live life—knowing just how precious it always is and knowing that it may very well be much shorter than I’d like.

This isn’t just a somber reflection; it’s a necessary call to action. I recently heard an interview with the actor Minnie Driver where she said: “Don’t wait. For anything. What are you waiting for? Go live! Right now!” I feel that in my bones. That element of time is always front of mind for me. Maybe it’s a bit too front of mind sometimes, but in my opinion, that’s better than not thinking of it at all.

The Gift of “Extra” Time

I know how short life can be. I know how short my life almost was while I was going through cancer treatment and all the complications I faced. Because of that, I know this is all “extra.” I know I’m lucky to be here at all, and lucky to be healthy and able-bodied.

So, I don’t wait. I’m doing my passion projects now. I spend my time exactly the way I want and with whom I want. I don’t care about titles and money and prestige. Those things were meaningless when I was lying in a hospital bed surrounded by the whirring of breathing machines hoping to live to see the sunrise the next day.

All I wanted then was my dog and my friends. That’s it. That’s all I want now, too. Instead of chasing a title, I choose work that brings me joy. Instead of prestige, I choose the creative projects that might never make a dime but make me feel alive.

The Heartbreaking Truth

Since that hospital stay, my soul dog and several of my friends and family members have passed away. The time with them was too brief. We never, ever get enough time with those we love. That is the powerful and heartbreaking truth of life: It is never long enough, no matter how long it is.

My wish for all of us as we head into a new year is that we don’t wait another second to live a life we love. Do exactly what you want to do right now and every day you have. Don’t wait on passion projects. Don’t wait on love—for yourself, the beings you care about, and your community.

Don’t wait for “someday.” None of us have that luxury.

Someday is today.

creativity

A Year of Yes: NYC’s Secrets and Lies returns to Caveat in a month

Christa Avampato

I’m bonkers excited about the next performance of New York City’s Secrets and Lies on Wednesday, August 8th at 7pm at Caveat, a speakeasy on the lower east side made for intelligent nightlife (with a killer wine and beer list). John Bucher, Leslie Goshko, Ashley Semrick, Erin Hunkemoeller, and our special filmmaker guest are going to wow you with fantastical tales of our amazing city’s history. 3 are true. 1 is a lie. The audience separates fact from fiction.

I made you this trailer video to give you a peek at what it’s like to be at our show. Oh, and a few tips: we have an amazing audience prize from Untapped Cities and our special guest needs you for his new film project so come on down and learn what it’s all about! Tickets on sale now at http://caveat.nyc/event/new-york-citys-secrets-and-lies-8-8-18/.

creativity

In the pause: Remember who you are

Christa Avampato

“She remembered who she was and the game changed.” ~Lalah Deliah

Don’t try to fit in. Focus on who you are at your core. Not who the world wants you to be, who your family and friends expect, or who you think you need to be.Put away all the titles and degrees you’ve earned. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Remember who you are. You are enough, just as you are, right now. You don’t need to change anything about yourself to change everything around you. Crawl inside your own authenticity and then live it out loud.

creativity

In the pause: The surprising truth about pursuing our goals

Christa Avampato
My friend, Alex, sent this quote to me and it resonates with me so deeply. This idea is what prompted my move back to New York City and this change in career direction. I could have kept moving ahead on a corporate path. I could have continued to climb in title and compensation. Except that I really couldn’t do that and be true to myself. I have turned down jobs and projects not because I couldn’t do them but because they weren’t rooted in how I want to spend my time. This is a tough thing to do.
 
We tell ourselves all of the convenient reasons we need to keep doing what we’ve been doing even though it may not be what fires us up. It makes today easier at the expense of our tomorrows. What I’m doing is making my today more challenging because I want my tomorrows to be more fulfilling. It’s all a gamble. I don’t know how it’s going to go but here’s what I do know—if I didn’t follow this path I’m on now, I’d always wonder what might have been. And I didn’t want to wonder; I wanted to take my best shot and manage whatever happens next. It may not be the best choice for everyone, but it’s certainly the best choice for me.
creativity

In the pause: Carrie Fisher’s advice on your voice

Christa Avampato

“Say your weak things in a strong voice.” ~Carrie Fisher in an interview with Charlie Rose

I think the hard thing about speaking our truths, especially ones that hurt, is that they often make our voice tremble. You know how it goes—the lump in your throat, the tears in your eyes, the shaking in your hands. We’ve all got those truths, some of them buried deeper than others. What Carrie Fisher gave us was an example, a template, to help us say and own these hard truths with a strong and clear voice. You don’t need to be ashamed of things you’ve survived, however tenuous that survival may be. If you are here, then you have the right to stand tall and proud, to speak out, and to claim your place at the table with an experienced and knowledgeable point-of-view. No one can take that from you. That is yours, so own it.

 

creativity

Wonder: How to know what someone’s like

Christa Avampato

“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” ~J.K. Rowling

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we really get to know who someone is. A few of my friends have recently come to terms with discovering that people they thought they knew they actually don’t know at all. When you are authentic and straightforward, you think everyone else is, too. And sadly, that’s not always the case. So how do you get an accurate read? How can you tell, as early as possible, if someone is actually presenting themselves honestly? JKR gives us some very solid advice in this quote. Don’t look at how they treat their friends or their boss. Pay attention to how they treat people on the street. How do they talk to children? What are they like with animals? And especially pay attention to how they treat people in customer service – at a store, restaurant, or bar. Good or bad, those observations speak volumes about someone’s character that they will never tell you themselves.