JoyProject
By Christa Avampato
JoyProjectDec 27, 2022
The Joy of What's Next with Christa Avampato — Season 1 Finale
This episode is a part of the JoyProject podcast: https://christaavampato.com/JoyProject
In the Season 1 Finale episode, Christa talks about what she learned from the 20 episodes in Season 1 of JoyProject, what’s coming up for Season 2, and how she’d love for you to be involved.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- A tribute to Christa’s stepfather who loved this podcast and who sadly passed away on December 11, 2022
- The inspiration for the name and content of this podcast
- A brief recap of all the interviews in Season 1
- What’s in store for Season 2
- How you can be involved in Season 2
Links to resources:
- The website for JoyProject with all the episodes, show notes, and links – https://christaavampato.com/JoyProject
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
About Christa:
Christa Avampato is an award-winning author, business leader, and biomimicry scientist. She is the creator and host of the JoyProject podcast. She is equally inspired by ancient wisdom and modern technology. She's a proliferator of goodness, champion of nature, opener of doors, fan of laughter, and proud New Yorker.
The Joy of the Unknown with Eric Fisher
Every day the unknown is waiting for us. As much as we plan our lives, the unknown is our constant companion we meet every day. In this wide ranging discussion about joy, faith, and the future, storyteller Eric Fisher takes us through his three tiers of joy and explains how reframing the stories of our past can help us create a brighter, more joyful future.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The philosophy of joy
- How to reframe our challenges, not only as sole actors, but collectively in community with others
- Building back better after difficult times so that the world is improved for all beings
- The beauty of being able to hold a whole range of disparate emotions at the same time
- The best compliment that anyone can give us when we tell them our stories
- How to look forward to what's next when we're in liminal space
- How Eric's faith helps him to find joy and helps him help others
- How joy can heal us on many levels and bring us closer to one another
- The wish our friend John Bucher has for anyone and everyone who goes through challenges
- Cory Booker's comment about joy on the Senate floor, "You can't steal my joy"
- Eric's business that helps people preserve their life stories
- Eric's three levels of joy that help him find meaning
- The difference between joy and happiness
- Eric's life philosophy rooted in the classical narrative structure of stories
- How joy can and is present in all phases of our story, even and especially conflict
- Making joy in the midst of the experiences we never wanted to have
Links to resources:
- Eric’s storytelling business – Finowr Creations https://www.finowr.com/
- Eric on Instagram - @ericfisherofmen
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
- The Enneagram Personality Test - https://www.truity.com/test/enneagram-personality-test
- Enneagram Personality Types - https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-descriptions
- STORY Gatherings - https://storygatherings.com/
- John Bucher’s website – https://tellingabetterstory.com
About Eric:
Eric Fisher has always had a large imagination and loves good storytelling! In his early years, he expressed these passions through sports and humor with friends. He’s worked several types of jobs and specialized in wellness and coaching for over ten years. He now pursues writing and acting. He’s always dreaming of what’s next. Even now, his life is full of unknowns! He knows he will undoubtedly fail, but he holds hope in every possibility.
The Joy of Book Clubs with Libby Seiter Nelson
Summary:
Talking about books is one of the greatest joys, and to have a conversation about books with Libby is a treat for all book lovers. In December 2015 Libby was going through a time of intense grief and participating in the POPSUGAR annual reading challenge gave her the joy she needed. To amplify that joy, Libby posted about the challenge on Facebook to see if she could get a few friends to read with her through 2016. That Facebook group, 2022 Reading Challenge, started with a small group of friends and now has grown to almost 500 members in 2022. Anyone and everyone who loves to read books and talk about them is welcome. It’s all online through Facebook with zero pressure and a source of joy for everyone in the group. And yes, you’re invited to join us! We’d love to have you read with us in 2023.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The value of meaningful conversations
- Libby’s coaching work and the work of Dr. Brené Brown - https://brenebrown.com/
- Introverted extroverts and extroverted introverts
- How joy helps us survive and heal during grief, sickness, and life’s challenges
- The love of reading that started for Libby and Christa when they were children
- Books Libby recommends for listeners
- Books Christa recommends for listeners
- Rising through fear
- The power of storytelling and memoirs
- Women in science, the stories of women lost to history, and how much we love books where character submerge into a new world and re-emerge transformed by their experiences
- The books of Anne Lamott, Bill Bryson, Nelson Mandela, John Lewis, John Doerr
- John Bucher and his love for mythology - https://www.tellingabetterstory.com/
- How Libby’s book club has helped us discover books we wouldn’t otherwise know about
- Walking in the shoes of other people through books
- The work of StoryCorps - https://storycorps.org/
Links to resources:
- Libby’s online book club that welcomes all people – 2022 Reading Challenge (the year changes in January of every year and is loosely based on the POPSUGAR annual reading challenge)
- Libby’s private coaching business – https://www.libbynelsoncoaching.com/
- Libby on LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/coachlibbyn
- 3be Coaching - https://www.3becoaching.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/3becoaching
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
- POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - https://www.popsugar.com/latest/POPSUGAR-Reading-Challenge
About Libby:
Libby Seiter Nelson is a highly skilled and extensively trained certified professional coaching. She is an Executive Coach and Facilitator in an innovative coaching program that helps parents with the critical transition to life as a working parent. Her coaching is especially focused on the return to work — an underestimated challenge that impacts gender equity and inclusion. She facilitates courses and group coaching, and teaches seminars focused on the realities of the current work environment, offering tangible solutions for the challenges of being a working parent. Libby is a Certified Daring Way Facilitator™, a program created and run by Dr. Brené Brown.
In addition to her coaching work, she is the Director of Bright Futures, an organization dedicated to supporting students in the Seattle area who are experiencing housing and food insecurity. She also started the Reading Challenge Facebook Group based on the annual POPSUGAR reading challenge, and it now has 500 members. All are welcome to join!
The Joy of Making Shoes with Kaylee Scoggins Herring
This episode is part of the JoyProject podcast: https://christaavampato.com/joyproject
When it comes to picking up new hobbies, Kaylee isn't shy about trying something completely new and outside her comfort zone. She took her two hobbies of swing dancing and leather working and combined them by learning to create 100% handmade swing dancing shoes. Now she's expanded to make shoes and boots of all kinds, along the way discovering a community of cordwainers, artisans, historic supply businesses, and classes all over the country. Her enthusiasm is highly contagious and before you know it, you'll be dreaming up shoes designs and dancing!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- How Kaylee got started making shoes
- The highly technical process and the artistry that goes into making shoes
- Resources to get you started making your own shoes
- Upcycling materials in shoemaking
- Hidden message in the soles of the shoes
Links to resources:
- Kaylee on Instagram – @archivixenshoes
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
- Second Skin blog – https://secondskinblog.com/
- Double H Leather – https://double-h-leather-works-llc.business.site/
- Colorado Shoe School – https://coloradoshoeschool.com/
- American Dutches – https://www.americanduchess.com/
- Brooklyn Shoe Space – https://brooklynshoespace.com/
About Kaylee:
Kaylee was born and raised on an alpaca ranch on the coast of California, where she spent most of her days learning how to knit, sew, paint, hand spin, and teach herself all types of random crafts. She used the excuse of a degree to briefly run away to university in Australia, and after securing a degree in archives and records management and becoming a certified archivist, she used the lockdowns as an ideal time to teach herself how to make shoes. After two workshops and a year and a half of projects, Kaylee has made over a dozen pairs of unique shoes!
The Joy of Pizza with Rachel Josar
Pizza. The word alone brings an immediate smile to our faces. We can’t contain the joy it sparks, and nowhere is the joy of pizza more prevalent than in New York City. Rachel Josar, the creator and host of the They Had Fun podcast, joins JoyProject to talk about all things pizza, her weekly tradition with her husband, her passion for this incredible city, and the history and culture that is entwined with food. After 250 weeks of Friday night pizza, Rachel gives her expert opinion on where to get the best pizza in New York.
About Rachel:
Rachel is the host of the podcast, They Had Fun, where she talks to real New Yorkers about the most fun they've ever had in the city. She's lived in NYC for 16 years and enjoys fries at the bar, gallery walks, talking to anyone who will listen about why New York is still great, and of course, negronis and pizza on Fridays.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The best places in New York to get pizza
- Rachel’s weekly pizza tradition with her husband
- The history of pizza and it’s place in New York city culture
- The quote about pizza in the New York Times that helped Rachel and Christa connect and become friends
- Rachel’s amazing podcast, The Had Fun
- Why New York City is the greatest city
- New York’s restaurant scene and supporting restaurants through the pandemic
- Christa’s favorite childhood memory about pizza
Links to resources:
- Rachel on Instagram – @they_had_fun
- They Had Fun podcast – They Had Fun
- They Had Fun website – TheyHadFun.com
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa on TikTok – @christanyc
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
- Lucali – https://www.lucali.com/
- Best Pizza – https://www.bestpizzawilliamsburg.com/
- Mano’s Pizzeria – https://slicelife.com/restaurants/ny/queens/11385/mano-s-pizzeria-queens/menu
- Motorino – https://www.motorinony.com/
- Mama's TOO! – https://www.mamastoo.com/
- John’s Pizzeria – https://www.johnspizzerianyc.com/
- Carmine & Sons – https://carmineandsonspizza.com/
- Louie and Ernie’s Pizza – https://louieanderniespizza.com/
The Joy of Baking Birthday Cakes with Dana Phillips
Cake sculpting is an art form, and gifting a personalized cake to someone is as much a source of joy for the giver as the receiver. Dana Phillips shares how she got started baking and decorating elaborate cakes as a promise to her children, and how it grew into a way to spread joy to so many others in her life. As a Certified Wilton-method cake decorating instructor, Dana takes us on her sweet journey through the wonderland of cake and gives us tips to help us bake and decorate with joy and confidence.
About Dana:
“City girl who moved into the woods with a knack for making edible art.” As a young mom the one thing Dana thought would be the most memorable tradition she could create for her kids was customized homemade cakes for their birthdays. She's 53 cakes in and her three kids who are almost all adults can’t imagine life without a cake from her. When she's not baking she's fighting for a better South for future generations, getting the dinner party and game nights planned now that everyone is vaxxed (nothing beats making good food for good people), disappearing into the woods to see the stars, and going on countless motorcycle adventures with her partner, Adam.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- How Dana’s children lead her to pursue cake baking and decorating
- Her favorite cake flavor profiles and designs
- Cake baking tips and ingredient substitutions to make delicious gluten-free and dairy-free cake
- Product brands for gluten-free flour and flavor extracts
Links to resources:
- Dana on Instagram – @pixiestavern
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
- Wilton cake classes
- King Arthur gluten-free flours and mixes
- Michael's cake baking and decorating tools
- Thrive extracts
- Earth Balance vegan butter
The Joy of Baking Challah with Vicki Eastus
What could be better than freshly baked challah? Talking about baking challah with one of my nearest and dearest friends! In this episode, Vicki tells us how she got started baking challah with her daughter during the COVID-19 lockdown. She shares her baking process, the traditions of challah, and the joy and memories that food provides for all of us. We also talk about the storytelling community that brought us together and the stories that connect us to our past, to history, and to one another.
About Vicki:
Vicki Eastus is a lawyer, teacher, improviser and storyteller. A native Texan, Vicki declared herself a feminist at age 10 and started her long career as an advocate for women. She has been a campus advocate on sexual harassment issues, a lawyer for the largest group of women to ever successfully sue the government for sex discrimination, and a Title IX Coordinator. Vicki earned her B.A. in Russian literature, focusing on Russian formalist criticism and the distinction between plot and story. She carried those concepts into her legal career, bending traditional legal writing rules to make her clients’ stories more compelling. Now a professor at New York Law School, she integrates storytelling and improvisational techniques into her classes on legal analysis and advocacy. She has given presentations at national and international legal conferences on using storytelling and improvisation to teach legal analysis and to help law students find their legal voices.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- How Vicki bucked her fear and started baking her own challah with her daughter
- Some of the traditions and history around challah baking
- The memories and joy we can all find in homemade and home baked food
- The inspiring work of Jose Andres and his organization, World Central Kitchen
- The Instagram account @challahbakeoff
Links to resources:
- Vicki on Twitter – @vickieatus
- Vicki on Instagram – @veastus
- An easy challah recipe by Life as a Strawberry
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa on TikTok – @christanyc
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
The Joy of The Great British Bake Off with Abby Anklam
This episode is part of the JoyProject Podcast: https://christaavampato.com/JoyProject
If ever there was a television show founded on pure joy, it’s The Great British Bake Off. Professional writer and home baker Abby Anklam joins us on the JoyProject podcast to talk about how she started watching Bake Off and her favorite parts of the show that make it a delight to watch. Abby also shares the bakes she tried at home that were inspired by the show and the bakes she plans to try after everything she’s learned as an avid watcher and fan.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- What makes The Great British Bake Off such a joy to watch
- How Bake Off is different (and better!) than U.S.-based competition shows
- What fans of Bake Off learn from the show and apply to their own baking
- Those adorable illustrations of the bakes that have become a hallmark of the show
- Abby’s work as a writer and illustrator of children’s books
- The Story community where I met Abby
- Junior Bake Off – the newest show in the Bake Off franchise now on Netflix in the U.S.
- A quote about joy from Jaiya John sent to me by my wonderful friend, artist Rachael Harms Mahlandt
Links to resources:
- Abby’s website – https://abigailanklam.com
- Abby on Twitter – @abigrayce
- Abby on Instagram – @abigrayce
- The Great British Bake Off – https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/
- Author Jaiya John – https://jaiyajohn.com/
- Artist Rachael Harms Mahlandt – https://www.instagram.com/yourfriendrachael/
- Story community – https://storygatherings.com/
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa on TikTok – @christanyc
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
#joy #baking #food #GreatBritishBakeOff #television #Netflix
The Joy of Fostering Animals with Mary Talalay
This episode is part of the JoyProject Podcast: https://christaavampato.com/JoyProject
What could instantly elicit more joy than a puppy or kitten? This week we talk to Mary Talalay, an expert in fostering animals to get them ready to find their forever homes. She also mentors new fosters, especially first-timers. Mary offers advice to those new to fostering and potential fosters who are curious about what’s involved in the process. She shares stories of fosters that hold a special place in her heart and how she and her daughter initially got involved in their foster community in Maryland.
At the end of the episode I share two resources created by Best Friends Animal Society. They put together a foster program training playbook with an e-learning module, care manuals for dogs, cats, and kittens, and other helpful links. They also have free online recordings of webinars, town halls, online courses, and helpful tips on fostering.
This is a heart-warming episode for all the animal lovers out there and those who want to play a part in animals rescue and adoption.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- What it’s like to be a foster as well as the commitment needed (it can be as a big or as small a commitment as you have time for!)
- The community of fosters that Mary and her teenage daughter discovered and are now a part of
- Memorable fosters that found shelter and safety in Mary’s home
- Ways to get involved in the foster community even if you can’t take an animal into your home
Links to resources:
- Mary on Instagram – @ta_la_lay
- Maryland SPCA – https://www.mdspca.org
- TRU Rescue – https://trurescue.org
- Sweet video of Mary’s daughter showing a lot of the animals they’ve fostered over the years – https://vimeo.com.659721314
- Best Friends Animal Society fostering and adoption resources – https://network.bestfriends.org/proven-strategies/operations/fostering-adoption
- Best Friends Animal Society Foster Programs Training Playbook – https://network.bestfriends.org/education/manuals-handbooks-playbooks/foster-programs-training-playbook
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa on TikTok – @christanyc
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
#animals #pets #joy
The Joy of Winnie-the-Pooh with Christine Caccipuoti
Childhood joys never leave us. This week, we delve into all things Winnie-the-Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood with podcaster and historian Christine Caccipuoti as our guide. Christine’s loved all things Pooh for her entire life. With a mother and grandmother who loved Winnie-the-Pooh, these stories and characters were her destiny.
As the Co-producer and Co-Host of the incredible Footnoting History podcast, Christine not only delves into why she loves Pooh but also the history of the Milne family, the importance of maintaining the magic we find in childhood wonder as we age, and what may be ahead for Pooh as he and his friends begin to enter the public domain.
At the end of the podcast, I share the final passage of The House at Pooh Corner and how you can see the original Pooh stuff animals on display at the New York Public Library (and online) as part of a fantastic free exhibition going on right now.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Christine’s podcast, Footnoting History
- Christine’s Winnie-the-Pooh episode on Footnoting History
- How Christine got interested in Winnie-the-Pooh
- How her views on the different characters in the Hundred Acre Wood have changed over the years
- The importance of maintaining childhood wonder as an adult and why having things that bring you joy in your life are so important
- The differences and similarities between the A.A. Milne stories and the Disney Pooh stories
- How and why we gravitate to certain stories and certain characters within stories
- Why so many people relate to Eeyore and how compassion is a major theme in the Hundred Acre Wood
- The history of the Milne family and how Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends came to be
- How the Pooh stories are similar to other childhood favorites such as Sesame Street, the Muppet Show, and Charlie Brown
- The messages that Milne communicated to all of us about life and friendship through Winnie-the-Pooh
- What it means for Pooh to now (sort of) be in the public domain
- What might be next for Pooh and Friends in the years ahead
- How to see the original Pooh stuffed animals in New York City
Links to resources:
- Christine’s personal website / blog – http://www.ChristineCaccipuoti.com
- Christine on Twitter – @mynameispurpose
- Christine on Instagram – @mynameispurpose
- Footnoting History (FH) Website – http://www.FootnotingHistory.com
- Christine’s FH episode about Pooh – https://www.footnotinghistory.com/home/winnie-the-pooh
- FH YouTube Channel – http://www.YouTube.com/FootnotingHistory
- FH Twitter – @historyfootnote
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
- Polonsky Exhibition of the New York Public Library’s Treasures – https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/treasures
- Winnie-the-Pooh and Friends stuffed animals at the New York Public Library – https://www.nypl.or
The Joy of Photography with Amy Selwyn
This episode is part of the JoyProject podcast.
Smartphones have turned all of us into photographers. We take pictures of our friends and family, our food, pets, art, selfies, sunsets, gorgeous vistas. If we can see it, we're taking photos of it. Smartphones changed the way we see and capture our world and experiences.
Less than a year before the pandemic started, photographer Amy Selwyn gave herself a gift that completely and unexpectedly changed nearly every aspect of her life. A trip to Cuba not only transformed her career, but it gave her a totally new way of seeing the world and her place in it.
At the end of the podcast, I share something that brought me joy this week related to the episode. As she adjusts her life to make room for making more art, she’s downsizing her home. That inspired me to re-arrange my own home and declutter my life. Apartment Therapy is an Instagram account and website that offers fantastic ideas on how to organize and decorate a small space for it’s beautiful and functional.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- How Amy got interested in photography
- Traveling to Cuba and falling in love with street photography
- The joy of being a beginner
- Discovering and living out your passions at any age
- Mental health and the artist mindset
Links to resources:
- Amy on Instagram – @amyselwynphotographer
- Amy on Twitter – @amyselwyn
- Amy’s website – amyselwyn.photography
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
- Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
- Christa on TikTok – @christanyc
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
- Apartment Therapy - www.apartmenttherapy.com
About Amy:
Amy Selwyn is a writer and fine arts photographer, and an utterly devoted dog mom to a sassy and adorable French Bulldog.
Amy spent over 35 years working for and with news organizations around the world, including the BBC, The New York Times, the European Broadcasting Union, and The Associated Press. Stories and storytelling are a lifelong passion.
Amy is currently in a 3-year MFA program at Maine Media in Rockport, Maine, studying photography. This month, Amy will have one of her works in a juried show at the South East Center For Photography in Greenville, South Carolina.
Originally from Hartford, CT, Amy and her beloved pup are currently based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
#photography #art #photograph #artist #joy #travel
The Joy of Water Skiing with Kate McGormley
Let Kate McGormley describe the rush and unbridled joy she experiences every time she goes water skiing, a sport she’s done every year since she was 6 years old. An advocate for mental health and the power of kindness, she takes us through how she got into the sport, the mechanics of getting up on skis, and how being outside on the water helps her appreciate her body, her health, and the goodness that always exists in the world. Her infectious laugh is something that will brighten your day and may just convince you to give water skiing a try!
At the end of the podcast, I share something that brought me joy this week related to the episode. Given Kate’s focus on the joy of the outdoors, please check out the latest Fix Solutions Lab publication—The Joy Issue. Fix is a storytelling team at Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Fix was founded on a simple premise: promising solutions to the climate crisis exist — they just haven’t yet gained sufficient momentum to tip the scales.
The Joy Issue has stories about using joy as a tool for climate change activism. It’s the perfect blend of so many things I love that create the foundation for my life and career—top-notching writing and storytelling, joy, curiosity, and protecting our beautiful planet.
Topics discussed in this episode:
– When Kate started water skiing
– How she got started water skiing
– The mechanics of water skiing
– How water skiing make her grateful for so many things
Links to resources:
– Kate on Instagram – @kathryn.mcgormley
– Kate on Facebook – @Kate McGormley
– Kate’s blog – KindnessMatters365
– The Joy Issue by Fix at Grist – The Joy Issue
– Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
– Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
– Christa on Facebook – @AuthorChrista
– Christa on Medium – @christaavampato
– Christa on TikTok – @christanyc
– Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
About Kate:
Kate McGormley is a higher education professional living in Indianapolis with her husband and two sons. Kate is a champion for mental health advocacy and kindness. She spent 2013 doing a kindness act each day with her young sons and blogging about it at KindnessMatters365. She spends most of her time with family and friends, but also loves serving on the board of her local Habitat for Humanity and occasionally pounding some nails. Her greatest obsession in life is her English Bulldog, Mack!
Transcript available at https://christaavampato.com/the-joy-of-water-skiing-with-kate-mcgormley/
#sports #waterskiing #joy
The Joy of Old Time Radio Shows With Zachary Lennon-Simon
Travel back in time with the JoyProject podcast (https://christaavampato.com/joyproject) as we delve into the world of Old Time Radio Shows, a form of entertainment from the 1920s to the 1960s that had families and friends gathered around the radio to tune into their favorite mysteries, drama, and comedies. Zachary Lennon-Simon, a comedian and storyteller in Brooklyn, New York, is our guide through this delightful and light-hearted audio-forward history lesson.
At the end of the podcast, I share something that brought me joy this week related to the episode. I found a bunch of free online resources where you can tune into all kinds of old time radio shows with just a few taps on your computer or phone. I also share my two favorite apps where you can access thousands of free audiobooks through your local public library.
Topics discussed in this episode:
– How Zach discovered old time radio shows as a kid and rediscovered them after college
– Zach’s favorite shows and where to find them today
– The differences between old time radio shows, audiobooks, and narrative podcasts, and some good ones to check out
– The importance of sound design in old time radio
– Stars who made old time radio popular
Links to resources:
– Zach on Instagram – @lennonhyphensimon
– Zach on Twitter – @zachlennonsimon
– Zach’s short film, frantic delicate summer – https://vimeo.com/63383000
– Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
– Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
– Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
– Old Time Radio Archive – https://www.youtube.com/c/OldTimeRadioArchive
– Old Time Radio Shows – https://www.youtube.com/c/OldTimeRadioShowsOnline
– MakeUsOf article – https://www.makeuseof.com/listen-old-time-radio-shows-online/
– Internet Archive – https://archive.org
– Relic Radio – https://www.relicradio.com/otr/
– RockIt Radio – https://rokitradio.com/
– Internet Radio – https://www.internet-radio.com/search/?radio=old+time+radio
– Pumpkin FM – https://pumpkinfm.com/
– RUSC – https://www.rusc.com/
– Libby App for free audiobooks – https://libbyapp.com/
– Cloud Library for free audiobooks – https://www.yourcloudlibrary.com/
#radio #theater #media
Joyful News 6.14.22
Joyful News is a set of stories I’ve gathered from around the world that spark joy. This week’s stories are all about dinosaurs:
- U.S. release of the movie Jurassic World: Dominion
- How Dreadnoughtus, named and discovered by Dr. Ken Lacovara, changed the course of my life and career
- Prehistoric Planet on Apple TV+
- Steve Brusatte’s new book, The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
- Riley Black’s book, The Last Days of the Dinosaurs
- Dustin Growick’s fun and entertaining Dino 101 videos on Twitter at @DustinGrowick and Instagram at @dinosaurwhisperer
- Science Friday bookclub
The Joy of Airports with Felicia Sabartinelli
Think you can’t find joy in an airport? Think again! This week on the JoyProject podcast Felicia Sabartinelli is a seasoned world traveler and once you hear her wax poetic about airports, you’ll see them and experience them differently. She explains that airports are the rarest of gems that help us to discover “a state of childlike wonderment.”
At the end of the podcast, I share something that brought me joy this week. It was a stressful and frightening one for me, and I say a heartfelt and grateful thank you to the Animal Medical Center of New York doctors and staff who saved my dog’s life when I was afraid I may have to say goodbye to him too soon.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Felicia’s definition of joy
- The importance of finding joy during the most challenging times
- All the places to find and experience joy in an airport
- How airports are becoming a destination
- Felicia’s travels to Spain, Turkey, Iceland, Sweden, China, Alaska, Finland, Mexico, Jamaica, and Austria
- Her upcoming book, Good Girl
- Writing while traveling
- The Denver airport and the mysteries it holds
- The art of the Seattle airport
- Her upcoming Masters program in the UK
- How the joy of musicals found their footing in society after WWII
Links to resources:
- Felicia’s website – https://www.feliciasabartinelli.com
- Felicia on Instagram – @Sabartinelli
- Felicia on TikTok - @Sabartinelli
- Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
- Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
- Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
- The Animal Medical Center of NY
#travel #airports #joy
The Joy of Travel Planning with Dr. Edith Gonzalez
This is an episode of the JoyProject podcast: https://christaavampato.com/joyproject
Are you eager to get back out there on the open road and travel? Memorial Day marks the start of the summer travel season. Now with prices and demand high and the COVID-19 virus still circulating with shifting travel rules, travel requires more planning than ever before. This week on the JoyProject podcast, Dr. Edith Gonzalez, an anthropologist, professor, and expert travel planner is here to help us with tips, ideas, and experiences to make our travel easier and more joyful.
At the end of the podcast, I share something that brought me joy this week related to the episode. This week, I tell you about the Netflix food travel series Somebody Feed Phil and the free app, Word of Mouth, an independent restaurant guide powered by a global community of culinary experts.
Topics discussed in this episode:
– Our mutual love of spreadsheets and maps
– How to optimize your packing
– Trip planning research
– Traveling with kids
– Traveling as a food lover and taste testing food specialties wherever we travel
– Bullet journals
– The wonder of Google maps and guide books
– Having a schedule versus winging it versus the happy medium
– Edith’s travels to the U.K., Venice, New Orleans, and Cuba
– A special shout-out to Phil Rosenthal, Somebody Feed Phil, and the Word of Mouth restaurant guide app
Links to resources:
Edith’s website – https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Edith-Gonzalez-3
Edith on Instagram – @egon.the.great
Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix
Word of Mouth app
#travel #joy
Joyful News 5.31.22
Joyful News is a set of stories I’ve gathered from around the world that spark joy. In this episode I share these joyful news stories about books, exercise, meditation, food, and travel:
- Thank you! This podcast has had almost 500 visits in its first 4 weeks!
- Things to Look Forward to: 52 Large and Small Joys For Today and Every Day by Sophie Blackall (book recommendation)
- The Joy Workout
- A Self-love meditation
- La Mia Mamma (London restaurant recommendation)
- CNN Travel’s Unlocking Italy newsletter
Extra links:
CNN story about La Mia Mamma
ChristaAvampato.com/JoyProject
Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
Joyful News 5.17.22
For Joyful News episodes, I collect news stories from around the world that spark joy.
In this episode I share these joyful news stories:
· A café in Tokyo just for writers who have a deadline to meet
· The app Too Good to Go that helps reduce food waste, protects the planet, and gives us tasty treats at a deep discount
· How to get a free year of AppleTV+ from Sprint and T-Mobile
· What we can learn about kindness and rest from hummingbirds
Resources:
Tokyo’s Manuscript Writing Café
Too Good To Go
A free year of Apple TV+
Hummingbirds
The Drew Barrymore Show
A transcript of the episode, resources, and more information available at https://ChristaAvampato.com/joyproject
The Joy of Podcasting and Neurodivergent Stories with Carolyn Kiel
Have you been sitting on an idea for a podcast for a while? Would you like to come up with an idea for a podcast and not quite sure where to look? Do you just need someone to say, “Give it a shot and see how it goes”? I have felt that way for a few years, and Carolyn Kiel, the creator and host of the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast, is one of my inspirations to give this medium a shot. After publishing over 150 episodes, she has a lot of wisdom to share. A master interviewer and creative force, Carolyn tells me how she got started podcasting, how her podcast has grown and evolved over the past four years, and how the conversations she had with people who are autistic and neurodivergent changed her life.
In this episode, we talk about:
- The motivation that led Carolyn to start Beyond 6 Seconds
- How she chose the name
- How she chose the topic and format of her podcast
- How she got her first guests
- The parts of the podcasting process that give her the most joy
- Why neurodivergent stories became her focus
- How learning about and meeting people in the neurodivergent community changed her life
- Carolyn’s autism diagnosis that she received as an adult
- Debunking outdated stereotypes of people who are autistic and neurodivergent
- How the biases in women’s healthcare also impact the biases faced by women and girls who are neurodivergent and autistic
- Interviews she’s done on Beyond 6 Seconds with journalist and author Eric Garcia and The Life Autistic YouTuber Hunter Hansen
- At the end of the episode, I share some (mostly free) tools I use to create this podcast
Links to resources:
https://www.beyond6seconds.net/
Sign up for Carolyn's newsletter
Beyond 6 Seconds on Twitter - @Beyond6S
Beyond 6 Seconds on Instagram - @Beyond6Seconds
Beyond 6 Seconds on Facebook - @Beyond6Seconds
YouTube: Beyond 6 Seconds
LinkedIn: Beyond 6 Seconds
Christa on Twitter – @christanyc
Christa on Instagram – @christarosenyc
Christa’s website – ChristaAvampato.com
Eric Garcia’s website - http://www.ericmgarcia.net/about.html
Hunter Hansen’s website - https://thelifeautistic.com/
Podcasting tools:
Zencastr for interview recording
Twisted Wave for audio editing
All about audiograms for marketing
Otter.ai for episode transcripts
Canva for digital quote posters on social media
Anchor for hosting and distribution
Wordpress for the website
Unsplash for images
#podcast #joy #stories #storytelling
Joyful News 5.3.22
Joyful News is a set of stories I’ve gathered from around the world that spark joy.
In this episode, I talk about:
- my 15-year business school reunion
- a Brooklyn bookstore crawl
- roads in India made from plastic waste
- a parade of planets
- a new orchard on Governor’s Island with a historical twist
- Don't Hesitate, a poem about joy by the beloved poet, Mary Oliver
The Joy of Old Things with Ashley Semrick
Episode summary:
In this episode, Ashley and I talk about our love for history and its relevance in society today. We explore the history and stories held in objects, and how anyone can get started doing historical research about any topic that interests them. We especially focus on teaching history to young people and getting them excited about digging into the past as a way to understand the world around us.
About Ashley:
Ashley is a veteran classroom educator who has been teaching in New York City classrooms and museums for over a decade. A public historian, licensed New York City tour guide, and writer based in Brooklyn, she is endlessly passionate about the connection between literacy, history, and art. She utilizes the inquiry model to generate student curiosity and engagement both in the classroom and in museum galleries. Follow her on Instagram: @HelloSemrick and on her website: HelloSemrick.com
Topics discussed in this episode:
– The complexity and necessity of joy in difficult times, and how to find it and create it
– How and why to teach history to young people
– How to conduct historical research about any topic of interest
– The important role of museums, media, and cemeteries in historical research
– Ashley shares how her parents sparked her love of history at a young age
– How Ashley found and returned a 100+ year old diary to the family of the man who wrote it
– The joy of found objects and discovering the history behind them
– NYC’s Sanitation Museum—a collection of found objects curated by a NYC Department of Sanitation worker who collected items that New Yorkers threw out for 30+ years
Links to resources:
Don’t Hesitate by Mary Oliver
How to become a licensed tour guide for the City of New York
NYC’s Sanitation Museum
Merchant House Museum
Fraunces Tavern
The Lenape in New York
Ask a physicist to speak at your funeral
Diker Indigenous art collection
Cheap Old Houses
Ashley on Instagram - @HelloSemrick
Ashley's website - HelloSemrick.com
Christa on Twitter - @christanyc
Christa on Instagram - @christarosenyc
Christa's website - ChristaAvampato.com
#history #historian
Welcome to JoyProject - Trailer
Episode summary:
In this very brief episode, I explain what this podcast is all about—interviewing people about something that brings them joy. Joy impacts our mental and physical health. In this difficult world, we need to find and create joy to take care of ourselves and take care of each other. Creating this podcast is my contribution to the joy movement.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
– why the topic of joy is so important (especially now!)
– the main premise and format of the podcast
– publishing schedule
– naming convention of the episodes
– how to get more information about each topic
– my surprise at the end of each episode—something that’s bringing me joy that week that’s related to the subject of that episode
– Joyful News mini-episodes, a collection of recent news stories that bring me joy
More details including full show notes, links, photos, and a complete transcript here: https://christaavampato.com/joyproject-podcast-trailer/