10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
Edited by Ben. Turn to ContentPage
Get the knowledge flowing and circulating! :)
目录
The Secret: Do Good Work and Share It with People.In the beginning, obscurity is good.The not-so-secret formula
Words & phrases
obscurity
/ əbˈskjʊrəti /n.无名，默默无闻；费解，晦涩；<文>昏暗，黑暗He spent most of his life working in obscurity.
他在默默无闻的工作中度过了大半生。
I get a lot of e-mails from young people who ask, “How do I get discovered?”
I sympathize with them. There is a kind of fallout that happens when you leave college. The classroom is a wonderful, if artificial, place: Your professor gets paid to pay attention to your ideas, and your classmates are paying to pay attention to your ideas. Never again in your life will you have such a captive audience.
Words & phrases
sympathize v.同情，体谅；赞同，支持
I find it very hard to sympathize with him.
我觉得很难去同情他。
sympathize with: 同情：表示对某人或某事的不幸、困境或痛苦表示理解和关心。
fallout n.（核爆炸后的）放射性坠尘；（工业事故或生产过程中产生的）空气悬浮物；后果，余波
The financial fallout has begun, and the political fallout may not be far behind.
经济的不良影响已经开始显现，而政治带来的影响可能也不远了。
captive
adj.被俘虏的，被圈养的；受限制的，受控制的；（设备，服务）受垄断的；被迷住的，被吸引的
n.俘虏，猎获物；被迷住的人，被吸引的人
They were taken captive by masked gunmen.
他们被蒙面的持枪歹徒劫持了。
感受
校园内 v.s 校园外：你这辈子再也不会有这么多忠实的听众了。
Soon after, you learn that most of the world doesn’t necessarily care about what you think. It sounds harsh, but it’s true. As the writer Steven Pressfield says, “It’s not that people are mean or cruel, they’re just busy.”
Words & phrases
necessarily adv.必定，必然；必要地
Biggest doesn't necessarily mean best.
最大的不一定是最好的。
harsh adj.（环境）恶劣的，艰苦的；严厉的，残酷的；刺耳的，难听的；刺眼的，耀眼的；丑陋的；刺激性强的，太强力的
His voice was harsh and unmusical.
他的声音刺耳难听。
mean
v.意味着；表示……的意思，作……的解释；打算，意欲；使专门用于；导致，结果是；十分熟识；当真，说到做到；对某人重要
adj.吝啬的，小气的；不善良的，刻薄的；要发怒的；熟练的，出色的；平均的；简陋的，破旧的；微薄的；<旧>出身卑贱的，社会地位低下的；中庸的，中等的；<美>凶狠的，好斗的
n.中庸，折衷；平均数，中数；中间点
She was a mean old harridan.
她是个刻薄的老泼妇。
cruel
adj.残酷的，残忍的；引起痛苦的
v.<非正式>弄糟，使没有成功可能
He was a cruel and vicious man.
他是一个残忍而凶恶的人。
感受
出了学校，谁还管你怎么想的！大家都太忙了！并不是他们mean or cruel.
This is actually a good thing, because you want attention only after you’re doing really good work. There’s no pressure when you’re unknown. You can do what you want. Experiment. Do things just for the fun of it. When you’re unknown, there’s nothing to distract you from getting better. No public image to manage. No huge paycheck on the line. No stockholders. No e-mails from your agent. No hangers-on.
Words & phrases
distract from 使分心，使注意力分散：使某人无法集中精力或注意力于某件事情上。
Identify the subplots and determine how they support the main plot line, or distract from it.
要能辨别出次要情节，判断出它们是如何支持或者转移主要情节的故事线。
public image 公众形象：大多数人对一个人的看法或观点。
The politician's scandal greatly affected his public image.
这位政治家的丑闻严重影响了他的公众形象。
paycheck n.付薪水的支票，薪水
I'm fine; except I have a question about my paycheck.
我很好，只是我有一个关于我薪水的问题。
stockholders n.[金融]股东（stockholder 的复数）
How then can the financial manager help the firm's Stockholders?
那财务经理能够如何帮助公司的股东呢？
hangers-on n.奉迎者；依附他人者（hanger-on 的复数）
For every one or two talented people in any group of artists, there are hordes of talentless hangers-on.
在任何一个艺术家圈子里，每一两位有才华的人身边儿总会有一帮无能的阿谀奉承者。
感受
这其实是好事，如果你想要attention, 那你就doing really good work. 在你还不为人知的时候，做一切你想做的事！
You’ll never get that freedom back again once people start paying you attention, and especially not once they start paying you money.
感受
一旦人家开始关注你，或者开始pay you money，你就再也找不到那份freedom了！
Enjoy your obscurity while it lasts. Use it.
If there was a secret formula for becoming known, I would give it to you. But there’s only one not-so-secret formula that I know: Do good work and share it with people.
Words & phrases
The Not-So-Secret Secret: 并不神秘的秘密
formula n.计划，方案；配方，处方；公式，方程式；分子式，结构式；配方奶，代乳品；（特定场合的）惯用词语，套话；（影片、书籍等的）套路
This formula is used to calculate the area of a circle.
这个公式用于计算圆的面积。
感受
一个并不神秘的方程式：Do good work and share it with people.
It’s a two-step process. Step one, “do good work,” is incredibly hard. There are no shortcuts. Make stuff every day. Know you’re going to suck for a while. Fail. Get better. Step two, “share it with people,” was really hard up until about ten years ago or so. Now, it’s very simple: “Put your stuff on the Internet.”
Words & phrases
incredibly adv.难以置信地；非常地
It was incredibly hard work.
那是个非常艰辛的工作。
shortcuts: n.捷径（shortcut 的复数）；快捷方式；快捷键
There are any number of ways to move or copy icons or create shortcuts in Windows.
视窗操作系统中有很多方法来移动或复制图标或创建快捷方式。
hard up 缺钱的；缺乏某种资源或支持的
I'm hard up this month, so I can't afford to go out for dinner.
这个月我很缺钱，所以不能出去吃饭了。
感受
第一步：
do good work!→ make stuff every day.第二步：
share it with people!→ put your stuff on the Internet.
I tell people this, and then they ask me, “What’s the secret of the Internet?”
Step 1: Wonder at something. Step 2: Invite others to wonder with you. You should wonder at the things nobody else is wondering about. If everybody’s wondering about apples, go wonder about oranges. The more open you are about sharing your passions, the closer people will feel to your work. Artists aren’t magicians. There’s no penalty for revealing your secrets.
Words & phrases
wonder
v.想知道，好奇，琢磨；不知是否（用于提问或礼貌地提出请求）；感到疑惑，（对…）感到不安；感到惊讶，觉得惊奇
n.惊讶，惊叹；奇观，奇迹；令人惊讶的事物，令人难以置信的事物；能人，奇才，有特效的东西
adj.极好的，灵验的
I wonder if you can help me.
不知您是否能帮我的忙？
wonder at 惊奇；对……感到惊讶：对某事或某人感到惊奇、好奇或惊讶。
I wonder at how she manages to stay so calm in stressful situations.
我对她在紧张的情况下如何保持如此冷静感到惊讶。
magician n.魔术师，变戏法的人；巫师，术士；奇才，能手
The magician vanished in a puff of smoke.
魔术师在一股烟雾中突然不见了。
penalty n.（因违反法律、规定或合同而受到的）处罚，刑罚；（行为、环境带来的）不利后果，苦难；（体育运动中对犯规者的）判罚，处罚；（足球、橄榄球及类似运动中的）罚球；（桥牌）（叫牌者未完成定约时的）罚分
The two men are facing the death penalty.
这二人面临死刑。
感受
Artists aren't magicians. There's no penalty for revealing your secrets. 艺术家不是魔术师，揭秘不会受到惩罚。
尽可能open的分享你的passions，人们也会尽可能地与你贴近！
Believe it or not, I get a lot of inspiration from people like Bob Ross and Martha Stewart. Remember Bob Ross? The painter on PBS with the ’fro and the happy little trees? Bob Ross taught people how to paint. He gave his secrets away. Martha Stewart teaches you how to make your house and your life awesome. She gives her secrets away. People love it when you give your secrets away, and sometimes, if you’re smart about it, they’ll reward you by buying the things you’re selling.
Words & phrases
'fro: n.非洲发型
Here the wind was roaring through the branches and the tree-tops were swaying to and fro.
风呼啸着吹过树枝，树冠来回摇摆。
感受
Give secrets away!
尽可能open地分享你的东西吧！很鼓励人的一句话！
When you open up your process and invite people in, you learn. I’ve learned so much from the folks who submit poems to my Newspaper Blackout site. I find a lot of things to steal, too. It benefits me as much as it does them.
Words & phrases
folk
n.人们；家人，双亲；民间音乐；诸位，大伙儿
adj.民俗的，传统的；流传民间的，普通百姓的
The entertainment was provided by a folk band.
这个文娱节目由民歌乐队演出。
folks: n.（复数）人们
Well, folks, what are we going to do today?
喂，伙计们，我们今天要干什么？
感受
当你open up your process and invite people in, you learn, and so do other people!
You don’t put yourself online only because you have something to say—you can put yourself online to find something to say. The Internet can be more than just a resting place to publish your finished ideas—it can also be an incubator for ideas that aren’t fully formed, a birthing center for developing work that you haven’t started yet.
Words & phrases
incubator: n.（用于体弱婴儿或早产儿护理的）恒温箱，保育箱；孵化器；细菌培养器；微生物培养器；（新兴小企业的）孵化基地（常配有后勤人员及设备，租金低廉）
The incubator provides some interesting projects that might come to fruition in the near future.
孵化器提供了一些有趣的项目，它们可能在不久的将来会走向成熟。
birthing center: 分娩中心
What if I progress so quickly that I don't make it to the hospital or birthing center in time?
如果我的产程进度太快，来不及赶到医院或者生产中心怎么办？
感受
你不能仅仅因为有话要说就把自己放到网上——你可以把自己放到网上去寻找要说的话。
How to understand this? 也就是说，你不必仅仅放你的成品，你还可以放未完成的东西，让Internet来帮助孵化！
A lot of artists worry that being online will cause them to make less work, but I’ve found that having a presence online is a kick in the pants. Most websites and blogs are set up to show posts in reverse-chronological order—the latest post is the first post that visitors see, so you’re only as good as your last post. This keeps you on your toes, keeps you thinking about what you can post next. Having a container can inspire us to fill it. Whenever I’ve become lost over the years, I just look at my website and ask myself, “What can I fill this with?”
Words & phrases
presence: n.出席，存在；<正式>（某人的）所在地方；<文>感觉中的存在物（如鬼魂）；驻扎部队，驻扎的警力；风度，气质；（公司在某地的）工人（或产品），势力
His presence no longer signified.
他在不在场已不重要。
have a presence: 出席
Such involvement can be to your company’s advantage, moreover, if you have a presence in a community at risk.
而且，如果您在一个处于险境的地区有商业活动的话，这类参与可能会对您的企业有利。
kick:
v.踢，踢腿；对（自己）生气；戒除（恶习）；踢球得分；（枪）射击时后坐，朝……反冲；活跃，精力充沛
n.踢，踢腿；极度兴奋，极大的乐趣；（毒品或酒精的）效力，刺激性；突然的猛烈震动；（枪射击时的）反冲，后坐力；（沙尘造成的）球的不规则运动；（赛跑接近终点时的）冲刺；有特定踢球能力的运动员；（一次）踢球（动作）；（玻璃瓶等的）凹底
This drink has quite a kick.
这酒的劲相当大。
pant：
v.气喘，喘息；气喘吁吁地说；气喘吁吁地跑；渴望（pant for）；<文>（心）剧跳，（胸部）剧烈起伏
n.气喘，喘息；<文> 心跳，胸部的起伏；喷气声
At first we pant like a little doggy, and then we close our mouth.
一开始我们要像小狗一样喘息，然后闭上嘴。
a kick in the pants: 激励某人停止懒散行为：通过行动或言语来激励某人停止懒散行为。
His coach gave him a kick in the pants to motivate him to train harder.
他的教练给了他一个激励，让他更加努力地训练。
set up to: 被安排去做：指被安排或被指派去完成某项任务或活动。
An independent body has been set up to investigate the affair.
已成立了一个独立机构调查这件事。
chronological
/ ˌkrɑːnəˈlɑːdʒɪk(ə)l /adj.按发生时间顺序排列的；（年龄）按时间计算的I have arranged these stories in chronological order.
我按时间顺序排列了这些故事。
on your toes 保持警觉：让你保持警觉，持续集中注意力和精力在你正在做的事情上。
Working in a fast-paced environment keeps you on your toes.
在快节奏的环境中工作让你保持警觉。
感受
有人担心being online会影响自己！但是实际上，并不会！
比如，可以让你感觉到激励！可以让你保持进步！可以让你保持警惕！
Learn to code. Figure out how to make a website. Figure out blogging. Figure out Twitter and social media and all that other stuff. Find people on the Internet who love the same things as you and connect with them. Share things with them.
Words & phrases
blogging
n.博客；写网志
v.写博客（blog 的 ing 形式）
"I'm a great communicator, love meeting people , demonstrating blogging skills and immersing myself in other cultures, " he said
他说：“我是一个很好的沟通者，喜欢与人交流，展示博客技巧，喜欢沉浸在其他文化中。”
感受
去学编程吧！:P 哈哈，还好我会一点点！
学习如何和那些有相同兴趣的人get connection!
You don’t have to share everything—in fact, sometimes it’s much better if you don’t. Show just a little bit of what you’re working on. Share a sketch or a doodle or a snippet. Share a little glimpse of your process. Think about what you have to share that could be of some value to people. Share a handy tip you’ve discovered while working. Or a link to an interesting article. Mention a good book you’re reading.
Words & phrases
sketch
n.素描，速写，草图；（任何作品的）粗样，初稿；简述，概述；幽默短剧，滑稽小品；<非正式，旧>滑稽的人（或物）
v.（给……）画速写，（给……）画素描；简述，概述；（用手或身体）做（姿势）
She drew a sketch map of the area to show us the way.
她画了一幅这个地区的略图，用来给我们指路。
doodle
v.（尤指厌烦或心不在焉时）乱涂；随意弹奏；闲混
n.（心不在焉地）乱涂的图画；蠢人
I often doodle when I'm on the phone.
我打电话时常常信手乱画。
snippet: n.小片；片断；不知天高地厚的年轻人
Here is a snippet of this code.
下面是该代码的一个片段。
a
littleglimpse of 短暂的一瞥：短暂地看到某物。I caught a glimpse of her as she walked by.
当她走过时，我瞥了一眼她。
handy adj.有用的，方便的，便于使用的；手巧的，有手艺的；手边的，附近的
Don't throw that away—it might come in handy.
别把它扔了—它或许有用。
感受
你不必什么都分享，实际上，你最好不要什么都分享。分享的东西有很多~
sketch | doodle | snippet | ...
If you’re worried about giving your secrets away, you can share your dots without connecting them. It’s your finger that has to hit the publish button. You have control over what you share and how much you reveal.
“Don’t worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you’ll have to ram them down people’s throats.”
—Howard Aiken
Words & phrases
ram
n.公羊；白羊（星）座（the Ram）；攻城槌，撞击装置；冲压机，撞锤；（打桩机的）夯力；<史>（军舰舰艏的）装甲撞角
v.猛撞，猛击；猛压，硬塞，压实；强迫通过或接受
abbr.（RAM）内存，随机存储器（random access memory）
The system has 256 MB RAM, expandable to 2GB.
这个系统内存 256 兆字节，可扩充到 2 千兆字节。
throat
n.喉咙，咽喉；喉部，颈前部；咽喉状部分（尤指狭窄通道、进出管路）；<文>嗓音，嗓门，歌喉；（肋材、锚臂或前后帆等的）弯曲处，凹口
v.用喉音说
He held the knife to her throat.
他拿刀子顶着她的喉咙。
ram down: 强行压制：用力将某物压下或塞进，通常用于形容强行将某种观点或想法强加给他人。
They wriggled uncomfortably, for they knew he would not scruple [hesitate] to ram them down with poles.
他们不安地扭动着身子，因为他们知道他会毫不犹豫地用棍子把他们打下去。
感受
如果你担心分享太多，那你可以只分享零碎的东西，而不把他们连接起来，just like 一串项链中的珠子。你只用分享那些零碎的珠子就行了！
If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats. 如果你的想法很好，那就得强迫使人们接受。