10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
Edited by Ben. Turn to ContentPage
Get the knowledge flowing and circulating! :)
目录
“We don’t know where we get our ideas from. What we do know is that we do not get them from our laptops.”
—John Cleese
Words & phrases
laptop n.膝上型计算机，便携式电脑（=laptop computer）
She used to work at her laptop until four in the morning.
她以前经常在笔记本电脑前工作到凌晨4点钟。
感受
我不知道我的idea来自哪里，但是我明确地知道，我的idea不是来自laptop。
My favorite cartoonist, Lynda Barry, has this saying: “In the digital age, don’t forget to use your digits!” Your hands are the original digital devices. Use them.
Words & phrases
digit n.（零到九中的任一）数字；手指，脚趾
Her telephone number differs from mine by one digit.
她的电话号码跟我的差一个数字。
digits: n.[计]数字；手指；[解剖]足趾（digit 的复数）
Many people inadvertently transpose digits of the ZIP code.
许多人粗心地把邮政编码的数字弄颠倒了。
digital
adj.数字的，数码的；数字显示的；指头的，手指的
n.数字电视，数位电视
The signal will be converted into digital code.
信号将被转变成数字编码。
感受
数字时代也别忘记使用你的原始digits：双手。
这里让我想起了一首经典儿歌（人民教育家陶行知先生作），也是我一直奉行的！以此分享。
xxxxxxxxxx31人有两件宝，双手和大脑。双手会做工，大脑会思考。2用手不用脑，事情做不好。用脑不用手，啥也做不好。3用手又用脑，才能有创造。一切创造靠劳动，劳动要用手和脑。
While I love my computer, I think computers have robbed us of the feeling that we’re actually making things. Instead, we’re just typing keys and clicking mouse buttons. This is why so-called knowledge work seems so abstract. The artist Stanley Donwood, who’s made all the album artwork for the band Radiohead, says computers are alienating because they put a sheet of glass between you and whatever is happening. “You never really get to touch anything that you’re doing unless you print it out,” Donwood says.
Words & phrases
rob sb. of sth. 抢劫某人某物：使用暴力或威胁手段从某人身上夺取财物或权利。
alienate:
/ ˈeɪliəneɪt /v.使疏远，使敌对；使格格不入；转让，让渡（财产或权利）The government cannot afford to alienate either group.
该政府承担不起冷落两个组织中的任何一个。
a sheet of glass: 一块/片玻璃
He smoked a sheet of glass to look at the sun.
他熏黑了一块玻璃用以观察太阳。
print out 打印（计算机文档）：将计算机文档输出到纸张或其他媒介上。
I need to print out this report for the meeting tomorrow.
我需要打印出这份报告，准备明天的会议。
感受
电脑带来的工作太抽象了，没法实际触摸。电脑前的那个屏幕把我们和正在发生的隔绝了起来，所以，这里作者说，电脑抢走了我们创作的感觉，虽然我不是很理解，但是我能明白，完全的digital并非很好！
Just watch someone at their computer. They’re so still, so immobile. You don’t need a scientific study (of which there are a few) to tell you that sitting in front of a computer all day is killing you, and killing your work. We need to move, to feel like we’re making something with our bodies, not just our heads.
Words & phrases
immobile adj.固定的；稳定的；不变的
She stood immobile by the window.
她一动不动地靠窗站着。
感受
我们工作，不仅要用脑，还是要用身体的，不要一直坐着。The immobile is killing you.
Work that only comes from the head isn’t any good. Watch a great musician play a show. Watch a great leader give a speech. You’ll see what I mean.
感受
只靠脑子产生的工作并是那么好。看看那些音乐家play a show, 看看那些伟大的领导者give a speech.就知道我的意思了！
You need to find a way to bring your body into your work. Our nerves aren’t a one-way street—our bodies can tell our brains as much as our brains tell our bodies. You know that phrase, “going through the motions”? That’s what’s so great about creative work: If we just start going through the motions, if we strum a guitar, or shuffle sticky notes around a conference table, or start kneading clay, the motion kickstarts our brain into thinking.
Words & phrases
a one-way street: 单行道：一种只允许车辆沿一个方向行驶的道路。
Turning left onto a one-way street is not allowed.
左转进入单行道是不允许的。
go through the motions 敷衍了事：做某事时不付出太多努力，只是敷衍了事。
You can't afford to just coast along, or go through the motions, if you're running a business.
如果你在经营事业的话，你不能只是走走过场而已。
strum
v.弹奏（吉他等乐器）；漫不经心地弹拨
n.弹拨声；一下弹奏
Now strum the chord any way you like, and record it.
现在你喜欢的任何方法拨动弦，并录下它。
shuffle
v.拖着脚走；（因不适、紧张或尴尬而）坐立不安，把脚动来动去；将（纸张等）变换位置，打乱顺序；洗（牌）；匆忙地整理（或浏览）；笨拙地穿上；随机播放；逃避责任（或义务）；<古>躲闪，支吾，搪塞
n.拖着脚走；洗牌；曳步舞；慢切分节奏，曳步舞拍；变换位置；搅乱，改组；（CD 机上）非顺序自由播放装置
You have to shuffle the cards before the cut for the deal.
你得先洗牌，然后再倒牌和发牌。
sticky
adj.黏性的，涂有黏性物质的；（皮肤因热而）黏湿的；（天气）湿热的，闷热的；（处境、问题等）难办的，棘手的；（网站）吸引人的，吸引人长时间浏览的；（食物）甜腻的；（价格，利率，薪水）变化缓慢的，对变化反应缓慢的；<英，非正式>持有异议的，抱不合作态度的；持久的；<非正式>感到热得难受的
n.告事贴；置顶留言
The knob is only held on by sticky tape.
这个旋钮只是用胶带粘住的。
sticky note 便条纸：一种便条纸，其背面有粘性条，可以附着在表面上并轻松拆下。
I wrote a reminder on a sticky note and put it on my computer screen.
我在便条纸上写了一个提醒，贴在了电脑屏幕上。
knead:
/ niːd /vt.揉合，揉捏；按摩；捏制She felt him knead the aching muscles.
她感到他在揉捏那些疼痛的肌肉。
clay
n.黏土，陶土；（网球场的）硬固泥地，红土网球场；<文>肉体；似黏土的东西；黄棕翼欧洲蛾
v.用黏土处理
The tiles are made of clay.
这些砖是用陶土制成的。
kickstart
n.（摩托）脚踏启动板；（摩托的）启动；<喻>开启，重启（同kick start）
vt.启动（摩托）；开始，重启；振兴（同kick start）
The motion kickstarts our brain into thinking.
这个动作让我们的大脑开始思考。
glowing
adj.热情洋溢的，赞不绝口的；（皮肤）容光焕发的，血色很好的；发红光的；发出柔和光亮的；（颜色）明亮温暖的
v.发出微弱而稳定的光；（脸部或身体）发红，发热；喜形于色，容光焕发（glow 的现在分词）
She was glowing with health and clearly enjoying life.
她容光焕发，显然生活得很快活。
感受
我们的大脑和我们的身体是互相协作的。我们的大脑可以告诉我们的身体一些事儿~ 我们的身体也能告诉我们的大脑一些事！通过什么呢？feedback from the scene by our vision, etc.
“I have stared long enough at the glowing flat rectangles of computer screens. Let us give more time for doing things in the real world . . . plant a plant, walk the dogs, read a real book, go to the opera.”
—Edward Tufte
When I was in creative writing workshops in college, everything we did had to be double-spaced and in Times New Roman font. And my stuff was just terrible. Writing ceased to be any fun for me. The poet Kay Ryan says, “In the old days before creative writing programs, a workshop was a place, often a basement, where you sawed or hammered, drilled or planed something.” The writer Brian Kiteley says he tries to make his workshops true to the original sense of the word: “a light, airy room full of tools and raw materials where most of the work is hands-on.”
Words & phrases
double-space v.隔行书写；设置双倍行距
Double-space the essay, and use standard margins.
使用双行距与标准格式的边界设定。
cease to be: 不再存在：表示某物或某人不再存在或停止具有某种特征。
Many abilities will cease to be unique to human beings.
许多能力将不再是人类独有的。
basement n.地下室，地库
My office is a cubbyhole in the basement.
我的办公室在地下室的一间小屋里。
saw:
n.锯；锯床；格言，谚语；锯齿状部位（或器官）
v.锯，锯开；乱剪；拉锯似的来回移动；<加拿大>（两人或多人） 通过互让解决，相互妥协
v.看见；观看（电影、电视节目等）；理解，领会（see 的过去式形式）
We sawed the wood up into logs.
我们把木头锯成段段木材。
hammer:
n.锤子，榔头；（拍卖用的）木槌；链球；击铁；音槌；锣锤
v.（用锤子）敲击；用力敲打，猛踢；强行灌输，反复强调；（在体育比赛中）使惨败，大败；使（企业）受到打击；严厉批评，指责；（心脏）剧烈跳动；压低（某股票）的价格
She had been viciously attacked with a hammer.
她曾被人用锤子凶残地袭击过。
drill
n.钻，钻机；训练，演习；粗斜纹布；条播沟；条播机；条播作物；<非正式>常规，正确步骤；尾角螺
v.钻孔；训练，演习；条播
The drill has variable speed control.
这钻机有变速控制。
airy adj.空气的；通风的；幻想的；轻快的；空中的
The office was light and airy.
办公室又明亮又通风。
hands-on adj.动手的，实际操作的；事事过问的，事必躬亲的；允许触摸的；（需）键盘操作的
This hands-on management approach often stretches his workday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
这种事必躬亲的管理方法常常使他在工作日从早晨6:00一直工作到晚上11:00。
事必躬亲的做事，会有很多意想不到的收获（感觉也是一种收获）。
It wasn’t until I started bringing analog tools back into my process that making things became fun again and my work started to improve. For my first book, Newspaper Blackout, I tried to make the process as hands-on as possible. Every poem in that book was made with a newspaper article and a permanent marker. The process engaged most of my senses: the feel of newsprint in my hands, the sight of words disappearing under my lines, the faint squeak of the marker tip, the smell of the marker fumes—there was a kind of magic happening. When I was making the poems, it didn’t feel like work. It felt like play.
Words & phrases
analog
adj.[自] 模拟的；有长短针的
n.[自] 模拟；类似物
As proud as I am that my son is tech-savvy like his daddy, it's equally important to me that he have analog skills: the ability to bait a hook, clean a gutter.
我的儿子和他的爸爸一样精通技术，这让我很自豪，但对我来说同样重要的是，他也有会通过模仿学习技能：能够给鱼钩上钩、清理排水沟。
permanent
adj.永久的，永恒的；（尤指问题或困难）不断出现的，一直存在的；（员工）终生的，长期的；（家庭住址）固定的
n.<美>烫发
She has been granted permanent residency in Britain.
她获准在英国永久居住。
marker n.（地点或方向的）标识，标志；（性质或特点的）标志；记号笔（marker pen）；<英>阅卷人；<英>（足球等比赛中的）盯人队员；参照标准；标志基因；<美，非正式>本票，借据；（比赛，尤指斯诺克或台球）记分员；无线电导航信标
He placed a marker where the ball had landed.
他在球落地的地方放了个标记。
engage v.雇用，聘请；参加，从事；吸引，引起；与……交战，开战；（使）（机器）啮合，接合；<旧>预定（膳食，地方等）；适应，与……有密切关系；允诺，签约保证；（运动员或击剑手）使（兵器）交结在一起；占用
They tried to engage him in conversation.
他们试图使他加入谈话。
newsprint n.新闻用纸（等于 newspaper）
They struck a deal with their paper supplier, getting two years of newsprint on credit.
他们与其纸张供应商达成一个协议，可以赊购两年的新闻纸。
faint
adj.模糊的，微弱的；微小的，可能性不大的；虚弱的，头晕目眩的；不热情的
n.晕倒，昏厥
v.昏厥；<古>变得微弱，衰落；变得没有气力
The heat made him feel faint.
炎热使他觉得快要晕倒了。
squeak
v.吱吱叫，嘎吱作响；紧张（或激动）得尖声说；<非正式>勉强通过，侥幸成功；<非正式>告密，告发
n.吱吱声，短促的尖叫声；只言片语；<非正式>机会
He gave an outraged squeak.
他愤怒地发出一声急促的尖叫。
faint squeak: 微弱的叫声
Just as he was losing consciousness, he heard a faint squeak and looked down to see a baby wallaby that had fallen from its mother's pouch.
就在他即将失去知觉时，他听见微弱的叫声，循声看去，他看见一只小袋鼠从妈妈的育儿袋掉下来。
fume
v.发怒，生气；冒气（或烟、汽）；熏（尤指木材）
n.刺鼻（或有害）的气，烟
Lie precariously at the edge of the mattress and fume if you must, but lie in the same bed.
躺在床的边沿，摇摇欲坠，如果你一定要的话，可以发火，但要躺在同一张床上。
感受
直到我开始将模拟工具带回到我的制作过程中，制作内容才再次变得有趣起来，我的工作也开始有所改善。如果东西在手边，你会觉得，用起来非常有触感。我对这部分的理解是，大概是增加了我们对作品创作过程的感知度，让自己更喜欢这个过程，更能感受到清晰、不模糊。
我们天生恐惧未知，害怕模糊。比如，你看路边的池塘，如果你能看到池塘下面的瓷砖，你一点也不会害怕，如果池塘浑浊一片，我会感觉到对它有些害怕。
The computer is really good for editing your ideas, and it’s really good for getting your ideas ready for publishing out into the world, but it’s not really good for generating ideas. There are too many opportunities to hit the delete key. The computer brings out the uptight perfectionist in us—we start editing ideas before we have them. The cartoonist Tom Gauld says he stays away from the computer until he’s done most of the thinking for his strips, because once the computer is involved, “things are on an inevitable path to being finished .Whereas in my sketchbook the possibilities are endless.”
Words & phrases
bring out
1．使显露出来：使某事物变得明显或显而易见。
The bright colors of the painting really bring out the beauty of the room.
画作的鲜艳色彩真正展现了房间的美丽。
2．充分发展：有效地发展某事物，如某种品质或能力。
The coach is trying to bring out the best in his players.
教练正在努力发挥球员的最佳水平。
3．公开展示：向公众展示或发布某物。
The company plans to bring out a new product line next year.
公司计划明年推出一条新产品线。
4．正式介绍：正式将某人引入社交圈或社会。
5．表达：说出或发出（声音、言论等）。
uptight adj.紧张的；拮据的；心情焦躁的；易怒的
Penny never got uptight about exams.
彭尼从未对考试感到紧张。
perfectionist n.完美主义者，追求完美的人；至善论者
He was such a perfectionist that he published only those results that satisfied him completely.
他是个完美主义者，只发表那些令他完全满意的成果。
strip
/ strɪp /
v.除去，撕掉（外皮或表层）；夺去，剥夺（地位，权力，财产）；脱衣服，脱光……的衣服；表演脱衣舞；为（奶牛）收奶；拆卸，拆开（机器、车辆或引擎 ）；<美>拆散（汽车等）卖零件；使空无一物，搬光（家具、设备等）；（使）（螺丝或齿轮）受损；（为利润）出售（公司资产）；分离（债券的）息票使二者分开出售；（子弹出膛时因膛面磨损而）不旋转
n.（纸、金属、织物等）条，带；带状地带；<英>（比赛时穿的）队服，球衣；商业街；脱衣舞；连环漫画；<英>（定时播出的）广播节目；飞机跑道
The gold is beaten out into thin strips.
金子被锤打成了薄薄的长条。
inevitable
adj.必然发生的，不可避免的；总会发生的，惯常的
n.必然发生的事，不可避免的事
You have to accept the inevitable.
你得接受必然发生的事。
whereas
conj.（表示对比）但是，然而；鉴于（用于文件的开头）
n.序言，开场白；条件语句
Some of the studies show positive results, whereas others do not.
有一些研究结果令人满意，然而其他的则不然。
sketchbook n.小品集；写生簿；随笔集
We're going to draw an apple in your sketchbook.
我们要在速写本上画一个苹果。
感受
蓝色部分的句子，值得分析分析。
computer会放大那些“先完美再完成的”人。实际上，如果我们还没有idea，过程再完美也不见得有任何用处！——we start editing ideas before we have them.
电脑的出现，总会不可避免的让事情必须完成。但是可能性往往应该是endless.
When it came time to sequence Newspaper Blackout, I scanned all the pieces into a computer and printed them out on little quarter sheets of paper. Then I pushed the sheets of paper all over my office, rearranging them into piles, and then a stack, the order of which I copied back onto the computer. That’s how the book was made—hands first, then computer, then hands, then computer. A kind of analog-to-digital loop.
Words & phrases
when it comes to 就……而言；提到……时；说到……
When it comes to cooking, she is the best in the family.
说到烹饪，她是家里最好的。
sequence
n.顺序，次序；连续事件（或动作、事物）；（电影中表现同一主题或场面的）一组镜头；（生物学中分子或基因的排列）顺序；模进；（纸牌的）同花顺；序列；（天主教弥撒中圣歌与福音之间的）继续经
v.按顺序排列；测定（整套基因或分子成分的）序列；用音序器播放（或录制）音乐
These pages are out of sequence.
这几页排错了次序。
sheet of paper 纸张：一张单独的松散的纸张，当它被装订在书或小册子中时，由两页组成（正反各一页）。
I need a sheet of paper to write down the phone number.
我需要一张纸来写下电话号码。
pile
n.一堆，一叠；一大堆，大量；大笔钱财；（地毯的）绒面；地桩；宏伟建筑物；痔疮；（纹章）（尖头朝下的）楔形普通图记；电池组
v.堆放；堆满；聚集；将（女子头发）高高盘起；蜂拥，拥挤；（车）撞（~ into）；<非正式>夸大（~ something on）；用桩加固（或支撑）
He swept the leaves up into a pile.
他把树叶扫成一堆。
感受
作者在sequence他的第一本书的是，就是这样不断的进行analog-to-digital loop. 实现的这个过程。
That’s how I try to do all my work now. I have two desks in my office—one is “analog” and one is “digital.” The analog desk has nothing but markers, pens, pencils, paper, index cards, and newspaper. Nothing electronic is allowed on that desk. This is where most of my work is born, and all over the desk are physical traces, scraps, and residue from my process. (Unlike a hard drive, paper doesn’t crash.) The digital desk has my laptop, my monitor, my scanner, and my drawing tablet. This is where I edit and publish my work.
Words & phrases
scrap
n.（纸、布等的）碎片，小块；丝毫，一丁点；废品，废弃材料（=scrap metal）；吃剩的东西，残羹剩饭（scraps）；<非正式>小摩擦，小口角；<英，非正式>极瘦小的人（常指小孩）
v.（因不切实际而）放弃，抛弃（计划、体系）；把（旧机器、旧汽车等当）作废料处理，报废；<非正式>打架，吵架；激烈竞争
adj.（金属、纸张）废弃的，报废的；零碎的
There's always tons of scrap paper in Dad's office.
爸爸的办公室里总有大量的废纸。
residue n.剩余物，残留物；（扣除应付款项、债款、遗赠后的）剩余遗产，余产
The residue of the estate was divided equally among his children.
剩余遗产被他的孩子平分了。
tablet n.药片，片剂；丸；（石头、黏土等制的刻字的）牌，碑，匾；平板电脑；<美> 便笺簿，拍纸簿；<旧> 一块肥皂；（单线）路牌；檐板；<苏格兰> 乳脂软糖；（计算机的）输入板，手写板
Take one tablet every four hours.
隔四小时服一片。
感受
作者完全把analog和digital的东西进行了分隔。
Try it: If you have the space, set up two workstations, one analog and one digital. For your analog station, keep out anything electronic. Take $10, go to the school supply aisle of your local store, and pick up some paper, pens, and sticky notes. When you get back to your analog station, pretend it’s craft time. Scribble on paper, cut it up, and tape the pieces back together. Stand up while you’re working. Pin things on the walls and look for patterns. Spread things around your space and sort through them.
Words & phrases
aisle:
/ aɪl /n.走廊，过道；（教堂）耳堂，侧堂Coffee and tea are in the next aisle.
咖啡和茶在下一个走道处。
craft
n.工艺，手艺；船，艇，飞行器；诡计，骗术；行业，职业；手工艺品
v.精心制作
He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.
他对这门手艺有着一种发自内心和持久不变的热爱。
scribble
v.潦草地写，匆匆地写；乱涂，乱画；<非正式>（为谋生、爱好）写作；粗梳（羊毛、棉花等）
n.潦草的书写（或字迹），匆忙完成的文章；胡写乱画的东西，涂鸦
I'm sorry what I wrote was such a scribble.
很抱歉我写的东西太潦草了。
sort through 分类整理：查看物品并按照特定顺序进行整理，尤其是在寻找某物时。
Their specific task is to sort through the reams of information and try to determine what it means.
他们的具体任务就是将大量信息分类，并努力弄清其意思。
感受
如果有空间的话，也建议你这样做：拆分数字桌面和手工桌面。在analog station，就保持手工工作。
Once you start getting your ideas, then you can move over to your digital station and use the computer to help you execute and publish them. When you start to lose steam, head back to the analog station and play.
Words & phrases
lose steam 失去力量、力量或能量，减缓速度
The team's performance began to lose steam in the second half of the game.
球队的表现在比赛的下半场开始失去了动力。
head back 返回：回到原来的地方或位置。
I need to head back home before it gets dark.
天黑之前我需要回家。
感受
当你形成idea的时候，就去digital station完成它，搞定它，发表它。
当你没有想法的时候，就去analog station去思考。