Unleash Your Creative Potential | Book Insights on Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
发布时间 2022-07-27 15:57:19 来源
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What would you do if you knew that you couldn't fail? It's the million dollar question asked in so many self-help books. Now, scrap that. Consider this instead. What would you risk doing fully knowing that you might fail? That is the secret to creative contentment, according to author Elizabeth Gilbert. By this, she means to create something you love so much, you'd keep making it and sharing it, regardless of whether you succeed or fail. But is it really that simple or even possible? Big magic. Creative living beyond fear, straddles, spiritualism, writing advice, and personal development. Gilbert gives a crash course on how to live a creative life from working in the face of fear to dealing with rejection and self-doubt. Let's now delve deeper and discover whether your own fears hold you back. From here, Gilbert will help coax out your creativity and realize your potential.
你知道自己不可能失败，你会做什么？这是许多自我帮助书籍中经常会提到的百万美元问题。现在，我们来考虑一个不同的问题：如果你知道你可能会失败，你还会冒险去做什么？这是作者伊丽莎白·吉尔伯特认为获得创造性满足的秘诀。她的意思是创造你自己喜爱的东西，你会一直保持创造和分享，不管你是否成功或失败。但这真的那么简单或可能吗？《大魔法：创意生活无惧惧怕》跨越了心灵、写作建议和个人发展等领域，为我们提供了一个创造性生活的速成课。吉尔伯特教会你如何在恐惧面前工作，如何处理拒绝和自我怀疑。现在，让我们深入了解你自己的恐惧是如何阻碍你前进的。从这里开始，吉尔伯特将帮助你挖掘创造力，发掘你的潜力。
But first, who is the author and why should we listen to her? Gilbert was born in Connecticut in 1969. She majored in political science at New York University, while doggedly writing short stories outside her studies. She worked as a journalist in New York before one of her articles in GQ about her past bartending experiences was adapted into the 2000 film Coyote Ugly. She's written eight books, most notably Eat Pray Love, a 2006 memoir recounting her post-divorced adventures across Italy, India, and Indonesia. The book was a runaway success, selling over 12 million copies and spending 187 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list. Like Coyote Ugly, it was also turned into a Hollywood blockbuster, starring Julia Roberts. Despite its success, Eat Pray Love divided people. While fans saw it as a cultural touchstone for self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment, critics took umbridge with the privilege that enabled Gilbert to take a year-long trip, the proliferation of cultural stereotypes and irresponsible tourism.
首先，她是谁？我们为什么要听她的话？吉尔伯特于1969年出生在康涅狄格州。她在纽约大学主修政治科学，并在学业之余坚持创作短篇小说。之后，她在纽约担任记者，其中她一篇关于过去在酒吧当调酒师的经历的文章被改编成了2000年上映的电影《酷兔俱乐部》。她已经写了八本书，其中最著名的是她在2006年发表的回忆录《美食、祈祷和恋爱》(Eat Pray Love)，讲述了她在意大利、印度和印尼离婚后的历险故事。该书大获成功，销售量超过1200万册，并在《纽约时报》的畅销书榜上停留了187个星期。就像《酷兔俱乐部》一样，它也被改编成一部好莱坞大片，由朱莉娅·罗伯茨主演。尽管取得了成功，《美食、祈祷和恋爱》分裂了人们的意见。粉丝认为这是自我发现和灵性启示的文化里程碑，而批评家则对让吉尔伯特能够进行为期一年的旅行的特权、文化刻板印象的流行以及不负责任的旅游感到不满。
Committed, her 2010 follow-up memoir was based around her decision to marry Jose Nunes, or Felipe from Eat Pray Love, whom she met in Bali. Other books followed, including critically claimed novel The Signature of All Things, but it was the 2015 release of Big Magic that catapulted Gilbert into the self-help sphere. Since publication, Gilbert has become a creative and spiritual guru, speaking on Oprah's The Life You Want Tour, giving TED Talks and teaming up with author Cheryl Strayed of Wild Fame to launch the Brave Magic Creativity Retreat. Months after Gilbert's marriage to Nunes ended, she announced she was in a relationship with her best friend, Raya Elias, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Following Elias' death in January 2018, a grieving Gilbert wrote her latest novel, City of Girls, and found the writing process a healing experience.
《挚爱》是吉尔伯特2010年的回忆录，内容围绕她决定和《美食、祈祷、恋爱》中的菲利普(Jose Nunes)或福力普(Felipe)在巴厘岛结婚。之后她又出版了其他书，包括广受好评的小说《万物的签名》。但直到2015年发行的《大魔法》，吉尔伯特才真正进入了自我助理领域。自出版以来，她成为了一个创意和精神领域的大师，在奥普拉的《你想要的生活》巡回演讲中演讲，发表TED演讲，并与《荒野生存》作者谢里尔·斯特雷德(Cheryl Strayed)合作推出了"勇敢的魔法创意度假"。几个月后，吉尔伯特与努涅斯的婚姻破裂，她宣布与她的好朋友雷亚·伊莉亚斯(Raya Elias)开始了一段关系，雷亚已被诊断出患有晚期癌症。在伊莉亚斯于2018年1月去世后，吉尔伯特写了她最新的小说《女孩们的城市》，并发现写作过程是一种治愈体验。
In this book insight, we'll explore four keys to creative living drawn from Gilbert's lessons and examples. They are, first, why a creative life should be driven by curiosity, not fear. Second, how creativity transcends science and reason. Third, why perseverance is more important than perfectionism. Fourth, how to trust in your work and yourself. Bruce Springsteen once wrote an entire album based on a John Steinbeck novel, Picasso, Dabbled in Ceramics. Madeline Langle overcame writer's block by playing the piano. J.K. Rowling racked up very high overdue library finds from her voracious love of reading. These examples demonstrate Gilbert's philosophy that creativity is driven by curiosity. However, creativity isn't restricted to the arts, she caveats. It could be as simple as taking up a sport as a hobby rather than to win medals. It is making choices that bring you happiness, regardless of what people say.
在这本书中，我们将从吉尔伯特的课程和实例中探讨创造性生活的四个关键。它们分别是：第一，为什么创造性生活应该由好奇心而非恐惧驱动。第二，创造力超越了科学和理性。第三，为什么毅力比完美主义更重要。第四，如何相信自己的工作和自己。布鲁斯·斯普林斯汀曾根据约翰·斯坦贝克的小说写了一整张专辑，毕加索尝试过陶艺。玛德琳·兰格通过弹琴克服了写作困难。J·K·罗琳由于热爱阅读而积累了极高的图书馆逾期罚款。这些例子展示了吉尔伯特的哲学，即好奇心驱动创造力。但她也指出，创造力并不限于艺术领域。它可以是简单的嗜好，例如参加一项体育运动，而不是为了赢得奖牌。这是做出能让你快乐的选择，不管别人怎么说。
Sometimes those choices aren't easy. Whether she's talking work or play, the biggest obstacle to creativity is fear of rejection, of criticism, of ridicule. Gilbert rejects the idea of eradicating fear entirely as this can unintentionally kill creativity. Instead, you should recognize your fear, acknowledge it, and make space for it, but don't allow it to dictate your choices. Appeal to its better nature, she says, but with the authority of a negotiator in a hostage situation. Gilbert seemingly ignores the fact that fears are most often irrational, but then again hostage takers are hardly rational either.
有时候，做出选择并不容易。无论是谈论工作还是娱乐，创造力最大的障碍就是害怕被拒绝、被批评或被嘲笑。Gilbert反对完全消除恐惧的想法，因为这会无意中扼杀创造力。相反，你应该认识到你的恐惧，承认它的存在，并为它留出空间，但不要让它左右你的选择。她说，要呼吁它更好的本性，但又像人质处境的谈判代表一样有权威。Gilbert似乎忽略了恐惧往往是无理的事实，但人质劫持者也很少合理吧。
Here is Gilbert herself speaking with Christa Tippett on the on-being podcast. If you can figure out how to hold the reins of other people's fear, then you can control them for a while. And so one of the very most powerful ways to not end up being controlled by that is to remain more curious than you are afraid. There are some inconsistencies in Gilbert's own story, and at times she oversimplifies things. As a child suffering from anxiety, she says her parents' tough love helped her beat her fears. If she was scared to get in the ocean, they'd take her swimming. If she was fearful of the snow, they'd hand her a shovel. She then describes overcoming bouts of anxiety as a teenager by simply realizing fear was boring. Further recollections of depression, anxiety, and shame sit alongside claims of living life in a state of stubborn gladness.
这是吉尔伯特自己在On-being播客上与克里斯塔·蒂佩特谈话的记录。如果你能够掌控他人的恐惧并驾驭他们，那么你就能在一段时间内控制他们。因此，不被那种恐惧所控制的最强大的方法之一是保持好奇心大于害怕的程度。吉尔伯特自己的经历中存在一些不一致之处，有时她过于简化事情。她曾经是一位焦虑的孩子，她说父母的严格教育帮助她克服了恐惧。如果她害怕下海游泳，他们就带她去游泳。如果她害怕雪，他们会给她一把铲子。然后，她描述了作为一名青少年克服焦虑发作的方法，简单地意识到恐惧是无聊的。她对抑郁、焦虑和羞耻的回忆与她生活在固执的愉悦状态之中的说法并列。
But the assertion that someone with an acute anxiety disorder can snap out of it by simply thinking fear is boring doesn't quite align with clinical understanding of the condition. However, the contradictions don't fully detract from the validity of her point. It's your creativity and not your fear that is original and interesting and therefore worth cultivating. The hardest fear to overcome, she writes, is failure. Gilbert says that at some point you will fail. Creativity is a risk and sometimes the gamble doesn't pay off. She refers to the time she threw away an entire completed book because, according to her, it didn't work.
然而，声称患有急性焦虑症的人可以通过简单地认为恐惧是无聊的方式摆脱它并不完全符合该状态的临床理解。然而，这些矛盾并没有完全削弱她的观点的有效性。她认为，值得培养的是你的创造力，而不是你的恐惧，因为创造力才是原创和有趣的。她写道，最难克服的恐惧是失败。吉尔伯特说，在某个时候，你会失败。创造力是一种冒险，有时赌博也可能失败。她提到了她扔掉一整本完成的书的时间，因为在她看来，这本书没有用。
Failure can quickly spiral into disappointment, shame, and inertia, but it's important to realize that it is just your ego that is wounded. Your ego is greedy for reward, she writes, but no amount of reward will ever satisfy the greed. One way to keep this in check is to nourish your soul which desires only wonder. And since creativity is the gateway to wonder, you can take refuge in your work. Forget about the project that didn't work out. Let it go and move on. Just keep working.
失败很容易导致失望、羞耻和惯性，但重要的是要意识到只有你的自我受到了伤害。她写道，你的自我渴望奖励，但任何数量的奖励都无法满足这种贪婪。控制这种情况的一种方式是滋养渴望奇迹的灵魂。由于创造力是通向奇迹的门户，因此您可以在工作中获得庇护。忘记那些没有成功的项目。放手并继续前进。只要继续工作就可以了。
Often people give up when the creative process stops being easy, when insecurity, demotivation, or embarrassment about their work creeps in. It's then that you need courage most because if you give up at that point, you'll miss out on the interesting part. It's only when you push through the discomfort that you'll reach the transformative part of creative work. Gilbert's big magic.
通常，当创造性过程变得艰难时，人们会放弃，不安、缺乏动力或对自己的作品感到尴尬时，这时你最需要勇气，因为如果你在这个时候放弃，你会错过有趣的部分。只有当你克服不适感时，你才能达到创造性工作的变革部分。吉尔伯特的"大魔力"。
Let's take a break.
让我们休息一下。
Next time we'll continue our dive into Elizabeth Gilbert's big magic by learning about perseverance. We'll discuss how creativity transcends science and reason. Enjoying this episode of Book Insights? If so, keep listening and learning. There's a collection of over 100 titles you can read or listen to now at memodeapp.com slash insights. That's m-e-m-o-d-a-p-p.com slash insights.
下一次，我们将继续深入探讨伊丽莎白·吉尔伯特的《大魔术》一书，并学习坚韧不拔的品质。我们将讨论创意如何超越科学和理性。喜欢本期的《书籍洞察》节目吗？如果是的话，请继续收听和学习。您现在可以在memodeapp.com/insights上阅读或听取100多本书。
We are continuing our exploration into Elizabeth Gilbert's best-seller, big magic, creative living, beyond fear. Last time we discussed the value of curiosity in creating art. In this part, we'll learn the relationship between science and creativity. We'll also discuss perseverance and perfection. Creativity is not science. It transcends logic and reason. Gilbert's philosophy is rooted in the magical. Creativity is the supernatural over science, the divine over reason, transcendence, over logic. She believes that ideas are alive and have willpower. They exist as a disembodied energetic life form floating through the ether in search of a human being willing to realize them.
我们正在继续探索伊丽莎白·吉尔伯特的畅销书《大魔术: 创意之路，超越恐惧》。上次我们讨论了好奇心在创造艺术中的价值。在这部分中，我们将了解科学与创意之间的关系。我们还将讨论毅力和完美主义。创意不是科学。它超越了逻辑和理性。吉尔伯特的哲学根植于神奇之中。创意是超越科学的超自然力量，是超越理性的神圣力量，是超越逻辑的升华力量。她相信创意是有生命力的，它们具有自我意愿。它们存在于空气中，作为一种无实体的能量生命体，在寻找愿意实现它们的人类。
Here is Gilbert on the on-being podcast with Christa Tippett. Consider this.
在on-being播客节目中，Christa Tippett采访了Gilbert。请思考一下。
Have you ever had a flash of inspiration on a novel to write, only to read that very book written by someone else months later? Perhaps you've seen a movie with a plot you'd recently considered yourself. If you don't grasp an idea and cultivate it to its final outcome, whatever that may be, that idea will continue searching for someone else who will.
你有没有曾经闪现出要写的小说的灵感，只是几个月后发现同样的书已经被别人写出来了？也许你看过一部自己最近考虑过的情节的电影。如果你没能理解一个想法并发展到最后的结果，不管那个结果是什么，那个想法都会一直寻找其他愿意付出努力的人。
Gilbert draws upon her own experiences here to illustrate the point. In 2006, she flirted with the idea of writing a non-fiction book about the gritty history of Newark, New Jersey, and the efforts of the new mayor, Cory Booker, to transform the city. She even had a name in mind, Brick City, but commitments prevented her from writing it. Three years later, the Sundance Channel aired Brick City, a documentary about Newark, its past, and Cory Booker's efforts to inspire change.
吉尔伯特在这里借鉴了自己的经验来阐述这一观点。2006年，她曾考虑写一本关于新泽西州纽瓦克市坚韧历史以及新市长科里·布克的转型努力的非小说书籍。她甚至有了一个名字，叫做“砖城”，但因为种种原因未能写成。三年后，桑登斯频道播出了一个纪录片《砖城》，介绍了纽瓦克市的过去，以及科里·布克的努力鼓舞城市变革的故事。
Previously, a friend of Aussie Osborne insisted Gilbert should write about the rock musician and his zany family because of their outlandish home life. She was momentarily intrigued, but never gave it another thought until reality series, the Aussborne's caught her eye on MTV.
之前，澳西·奥斯本的一个朋友坚持让吉尔伯特写关于这位摇滚音乐家及其古怪的家庭的文章，因为他们的奇特家庭生活非常出格。她短暂地被吸引了一下，但没有再考虑过，直到她在MTV上看到了《奥斯本一家》这个真人秀。
Bad timing or not being the right person will prevent you from being receptive to certain ideas. However, if you were inadvertently closed off to inspiration, Gilbert advises, keep your eyes open. Listen, follow your curiosity, ask questions, sniff around, remain open. While her theories may not resonate with scientific-minded readers, you can't dispute the logic of remaining inquisitive and open-minded.
恰当的时间或不是合适的人会阻止你接受某些想法。然而，如果你无意中关闭了灵感，吉尔伯特建议你保持眼睛敞开。倾听，追随你的好奇心，问问题，嗅探周围，保持开放。虽然她的理论可能不会引起科学思维的读者共鸣，但你无法否认保持好奇心和开放思维的逻辑。
Gilbert does attempt to ground her beliefs in science at one point. She recalls a time when she neglected an idea for a novel set in the Amazon for so long it left her, and instead transmitted to her friend, novelist Ann Patchett. Gilbert frames this revelation in the context of multiple discovery, the idea that independent scientists make the same scientific discovery simultaneously.
在某个时候，吉尔伯特试图用科学来证明她的信念。她回忆起一次她将关于亚马逊地区的小说想法置之不理，最终转告给了她的朋友、小说家安·帕切特。吉尔伯特将这一启示嵌入到多次发现的背景中，这个想法是独立的科学家在同时做出相同的科学发现。
Consider calculus discovered by both Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leipness, and the theory of evolution developed by both Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace. Gilbert explains this phenomenon as inspiration hedging its bets, fiddling with the dials, working two channels at the same time. She believes her best example is American poet Ruth Stone.
请思考由艾萨克·牛顿和哥特弗里德·威廉·莱布尼茨共同发现的微积分，以及由查尔斯·达尔文和阿尔弗雷德·罗素·华莱士共同发展的进化论。吉尔伯特将这种现象解释为灵感正在慎重考虑，调整旋钮，同时在两个媒介中工作。她认为她最好的例子是美国诗人鲁思·斯通。
As a child, Stone would have to sprint to find pencil and paper any time a poem charged noisily toward her like a galloping horse. If she wasn't quick enough, the poem would pass through her and race towards another poet. Occasionally she would be able to catch the poem by the tail and drag the words back to her, writing the poem backward from the last word to the first.
当斯通还是一个孩子时，每当一首充满嘈杂声的诗歌像奔驰的马一般向她冲来，她就不得不飞奔过去找铅笔和纸。如果她不够快，这首诗歌就会穿过她，跑向另一个诗人。偶尔，她能够抓住诗歌的尾巴，将诗句拽回来，倒着从最后一个词开始写下来。
If the initial idea is magic, then the creative process is magical. Imagine an instance when you were so immersed in creating something, a story, a painting, an artwork, that you don't even remember producing it. Perhaps you lost track of time or forgot to stop for lunch. Whatever guides you in these instances is mysterious and unexplainable. Gilbert here references Eudimonia, the ancient Greek word for the highest state of human happiness, which translates into modern thinking as being in the creative zone.
如果初始的创意是魔法，那么创造过程就是魔法。想象一下一个场景：当你沉浸在创作某些东西（如故事，绘画，艺术品）中，你甚至不记得是怎么创造出来的。也许你失去了时间感或者忘记了停下来吃午饭。在这些情况下引导你的是神秘和无法解释的。吉尔伯特在这里提到了古希腊的“尤迪莫尼亚”（Eudimonia）一词，它是指人类幸福的最高状态，现代的思想将其翻译为处于创造的区域。
The Romans called it your genius, your guardian deity, the conduit of your inspiration. In short, you wouldn't say an extraordinarily talented person was a genius. You'd say they had genius. Gilbert believes this separation between an artist and their art meant that if their art failed, it didn't mean they themselves had failed. The same applies for success.
古罗马人称之为“天才灵魂”，“守护神”，“创意媒介”。简而言之，你不会说一个非常有天赋的人是天才，而是说他们拥有天才的属性。吉尔伯特认为，艺术家与他们的艺术之间的区别意味着如果他们的艺术失败了，这并不意味着他们自己失败了。同样适用于成功。
Gilbert highlights the unpredictable nature of Eudimonia. The genius comes and goes with no regard for time of day. Have you ever woken at 3am filled with inspiration? Did you think to yourself, I must jot that idea down only to have completely forgotten about it by morning. Gilbert recalls an instance where she fell asleep on a train only to dream an entire short story. Upon waking, she quickly wrote it down, and it was perfect. But it was a one-off encounter that she hasn't experienced since.
吉尔伯特强调幸福感的不可预测性。天才时而来临，时而消失，毫不考虑时间。你有没有因为灵感爆棚而在凌晨三点醒来？你有没有想过要将那个点子记下来，结果第二天却彻底忘记了？吉尔伯特回忆了一次在火车上睡觉时做梦的经历，整个微型小说都在梦中写好了。醒来后，她迅速把它写了下来，非常完美。但这只是一次性的遭遇，她自那以后再也没有经历过。
So next time inspiration wakes you, write that idea down there and then. Most importantly, be grateful. It's a privilege to engage with creativity. It's also an enigma. Gilbert states that I don't need to know why we are sometimes able to converse freely with inspiration when at other times we labor hard in solitude and come up with nothing.
因此，下次灵感降临时，记得把那个想法马上写下来。最重要的是，感恩。与创造力互动是一种特权，也是一个谜。吉尔伯特说，我们不需要知道为什么有时候能够自由地与灵感交流，而在其他时候却要孤军奋战，却一无所获。
I don't need to know why an idea visited you today and not me, or why it visited us both, or why it abandoned us both. Essentially, go with the flow. Gilbert mentions how the musician Tom Wates revealed that while some songs came to him easily, others are like digging potatoes out of the ground. Some songs stick, others scare easily, a few need a firm hand. Then there are those that don't respond to any cajoling or talking to. These are the ones you have to let go.
我并不需要知道为什么今天这个想法访问了你而不是我，或者为什么它访问了我们两个人，或者为什么它离开了我们俩。本质上，要顺其自然。吉尔伯特提到音乐家汤姆·韦茨曾透露，有些歌很容易就想出来了，而其他的则像挖地里的土豆一样艰难。有些歌曲很有吸引力，而有些则很容易受到惊吓，还有一些需要坚定的手。然后还有一些歌曲，不管你怎么哄骗或者谈话，都没有反应。这些歌曲就需要放手了。
Don't overthink it or try to force it. Trust that if it's the right time, that idea will be born. If it isn't, it won't.
不要过度思考或强求。相信如果这是正确的时间，这个想法会诞生。如果不是，它便不会诞生。
With the Renaissance came a more rational, humanist way of thinking. This came along with the belief that an artist was a genius, rather than had genius as the Greeks and Romans believed. This change in thought broke down the distance between an artist and their art, effectively putting the artist on a pedestal.
随着文艺复兴的到来，一种更为理性和人文的思考方式出现了。这种思想认为，一个艺术家是天才，而不是像希腊人和罗马人认为的拥有天才。这种思想的变化打破了艺术家与他们的艺术之间的距离，有效地把艺术家置于宝座之上。
Gilbert cites Harper Lee, who was scared to write another book after her Pulitzer Prize winning to Kill a Mockingbird. Lee's exact words were, when you're at the top, there's only one way to go. However, Gilbert rejects the binary of success and failure, believing that it pits creatives not only against one another, but also against themselves. Her solution is to write only for the pleasure of the act of writing in itself. The joy it may bestow on others is an added bonus.
吉尔伯特引用哈珀·李的话，她在赢得普利策奖的《杀死一只知更鸟》后害怕再写一本书。李的确切话是，当你达到巅峰时，只有一条路可走。然而，吉尔伯特拒绝成功和失败的二元对立，认为这不仅将创意人士彼此对抗，而且也使他们对自己产生了压力。她的解决方案是仅为写作本身的乐趣而写作。它可能给他人带来的喜悦是一个额外的奖励。
Perfectionism is a curse for writers and Gilbert illustrates this through the works of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In the philosophers' meditations, which he never intended to be published, he tells himself, get a move on if you have it in you and don't worry whether anyone will give you credit for it, and don't go expecting Plato's Republic. The irony is that by getting a move on, Aurelius published something extraordinary.
完美主义是作家的诅咒，吉尔伯特通过罗马皇帝马库斯·奥勒留的作品阐述了这一点。在这位哲学家的冥想中，他告诉自己，如果你有这个能力，就快点行动，不要担心是否会得到别人的赞赏，也不要期待像柏拉图的《理想国》一样。讽刺的是，通过行动，奥勒留出版了一些非凡的作品。
One of the best examples Gilbert gives is a gifted young man she knew who decided not to be a writer because the words on the page never quite matched up to the idea in his head. Gilbert writes, he said, I would rather be a beautiful failure than a deficient success. She dismisses this attitude, saying perfectionism is just a high-end, owed-couture version of fear.
吉尔伯特提出的最好的例子之一是一个有才华的年轻人，他决定不成为一名作家，因为纸上的文字从未完全符合他脑海中的想法。吉尔伯特写道，他说，我宁愿是一个美丽的失败者，也不愿成为缺陷的成功者。她批评了这种态度，认为完美主义只是一种高端定制版的恐惧。
Here is Gilbert once again on the on-being podcast. I've learned to give myself all the credit in the world simply for being in motion. Did you do something today toward this thing than you're good? Was it great? No. Was it fun? No. Did you do it? Did you keep the ball rolling? Did you keep another step on that path going? Then you're fine. That's it.
这里是吉尔伯特再次出现在On Being播客上。我学会了归功于自己不断前进，并给自己无限的赞赏。你今天为了你的目标做了一些事吗？是做得很出色吗？不是。有趣吗？也不是。但你做到了吗？你让进步的步伐保持下去了吗？那么你就很好了。就是这样。
Gilbert shines a light on the issue of gender, with women often held to higher standards than men. There are fewer women in the arts, she writes, but attributes this not only to misogyny, but lack of confidence. Consider this widely circulated statistic. Men apply for a job when they meet 60% of qualifications. Women apply only when they meet 100%. While she does touch upon the impact of societal messages on women's reluctance to take wild leaps, she goes on to say, women are the ones holding themselves back from participating in the first place. She stresses, we women must break this habit in ourselves. But arguably, rather than putting the onus on women to change their behavior, the focus should be on systemic change, encouraging girls in school at work within families, for instance.
吉尔伯特关注性别问题，女性常被要求达到比男性更高的标准。她写到艺术界女性比例较少，但不仅因为厌恶女性，还因缺乏自信。她引用了一个广泛传播的统计数据：男性在达到60%的资格要求后就会申请工作，而女性只有达到100%时才会申请。虽然她提到社会信息对女性不愿意冒险的影响，但她也说，女性是第一道阻碍她们参与的障碍。她强调，我们女性必须改变这种习惯。但可以说，与其把责任归咎于女性改变自己的行为，重点应该放在制度变革上，例如在学校、工作中和家庭中鼓励女孩。
Nonetheless, Gilbert's argument that done is better than good will likely resonate. She uses her early work to highlight this. When she started out, she didn't strive to be a successful or great writer. She instead promised to write forever, regardless of reward. She said, I just wanted to spend my life as near to writing as possible, forever close to that source of all my curiosity and contentment.
然而，吉尔伯特的主张“完成比完美更好”的观点可能会产生共鸣。她用自己早期的工作来说明这一点。当她刚开始写作时，她没有追求成为一个成功或伟大的作家，而是承诺要永远写作，不论是否有回报。她说：“我只是想把我的生命尽可能地靠近写作，永远靠近那个激起我好奇心和满足感的源泉。”
She kept to this promise, writing every day in her 20s, after reading that John Updike said some of the best novels are written in an hour per day. She styled herself on the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Annie Prue and Kormack McCarthy, because everyone imitates before they can innovate. It was never easy, but somewhere along the journey she started to improve. Creativity is like a muscle, you need to train it.
她坚守承诺，在20岁时每天都写作，因为她读到约翰·厄普代克说一些最好的小说是每天一个小时写作的结果。她模仿欧内斯特·海明威、安妮·普鲁和科尔马克·麦卡锡等作家，因为在创新前首先需模仿。这一过程从未轻松，但在旅程中她开始提高。创造力就像肌肉一样，需要训练它。
She also started to recognize an emotional pattern to her writing process. Firstly, she would experience a bright flame of enthusiasm, which burnt out after a few weeks. Next came regret from even engaging with the idea. Self-flagulation would then snap at the heels of self-pity and would be followed by morbid thoughts about terrible reviews. Finally, when the project ended, she would be struck by the searing panic of never being able to create again.
她还开始意识到她写作过程中的情感模式。首先，她会感受到强烈的热情，但几周后这种热情就会消磨殆尽。接着是对自己参与这个想法的后悔。自我责备紧随其后，然后是关于可怕评价的病态思维。最终，当项目结束时，她会被再也无法创作的灼热恐慌所打击。
The main thing she learned, though, was to stick with it and the panic would subside. If inspiration temporarily deserted her, she'd keep working, expressing her openness to the universe and ideas. During this period of practice, Gilbert maintained a day job. It was only after her fourth book, Eat Pray Love, was published that she quit to become a full-time author. Why only then, she didn't want writing to be her main source of income in case it affected her creativity? She says, there's no dishonor in having a job. What is dishonorable is scaring away your creativity by demanding that it pay for your entire existence.
她学到的最重要的事情是坚持不懈，恐慌会慢慢消失。即使灵感暂时离开她，她也会继续工作，表达她对宇宙和思想的开放。在这个练习期间，吉尔伯特保持了一份工作。她直到第四本书《美食、祈祷、爱》出版后才辞职成为全职作家。为什么此时才辞职呢？她不希望写作成为她的主要收入来源，以免影响她的创造力。她说，有工作并不是耻辱。真正可耻的是通过要求写作为全部生计来威胁到你的创造力。
Famously, after the Wasteland was published in 1922, T.S. Eliot continued to work as a bank clerk. Many creatives yearn for financial reward and affirmation, but there will likely be frustrations and disappointment. Gilbert says, the question is not so much what are you passionate about. The question is, what are you passionate enough about that you can endure the most disagreeable aspects of the work?
著名的是，1922年《荒原》出版后，T.S.艾略特继续担任银行职员。许多创意人士渴望获得经济奖励和认可，但可能会遇到挫折和失望。吉尔伯特说，问题不在于你对什么有热情，而在于你有多热情，能够忍受工作中最不愉快的方面。
Let's take one last break. When we return, we'll conclude our book insight on Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. We'll discuss the concept of trusting in your work and your self. We'll have a brief recap, then consider the legacy of Gilbert's book. Enjoying this episode of Book Insights? If so, keep listening and learning. There's a collection of over 100 titles you can read or listen to now at memodeapp.com slash insights. That's m-e-m-o-d-a-p-p.com slash insights.
让我们最后休息一下。回来后，我们将结束我们对伊丽莎白·吉尔伯特的《大魔法》一书的阅读洞见。我们将讨论相信自己和自己的工作的概念。我们会做一个简短的回顾，然后考虑吉尔伯特的书的遗产。喜欢这一集的书籍洞见吗？如果是的话，请继续聆听和学习。现在就可以在memodeapp.com/insights阅读或听取超过100个标题的集合。
We're wrapping up our book insight on Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear. Last time, we learned about the value of perseverance. We also broke down the idea that creativity transcends science, logic, and reason. This time, we'll discuss trust in your work and your self. We'll review our lessons, then look at the wider implications of Big Magic.
我们正在总结伊丽莎白·吉尔伯特的《大魔术：超越恐惧的创意生活》这本书的见解。上一次，我们学到了坚持的价值。我们还解释了创意超越科学、逻辑和理性的概念。这一次，我们将讨论对自己和自己的作品的信任。我们将回顾我们的课程，然后探讨《大魔术》的更广泛影响。
To live a creative life, you don't need anyone's permission but your own. Gilbert decided against taking a master of fine arts in creative writing, saying, I'm not convinced that we need officially credentialed novelists. She mentions that out of the 12 North American winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature since 1901, none had an MFA. While Gilbert doesn't deny that some art schools are excellent, they are also eye-wateringly expensive, raising concerns that students are risking financial ruin for some sort of badge of legitimacy. Here is Gilbert herself speaking with Christa Tippett on her podcast, On Being. It's some artificial thing that you then have to get very expensive training in, and then you have to immediately start worrying about whether you can make a career out of this and whether you can make money out of this and whether you'll get a claim from this and whether you can continue to be recognized for this. And all of that is a very strange way to see creativity, and I would say a very new way.
要过创意生活，你只需听从自己的心声，不需要其他人的许可。吉尔伯特决定不去修读创意写作的艺术硕士学位，她说：我并不认为我们需要官方资格认证的小说家。她提到1901年以来北美12位诺贝尔文学奖得主中，没有一个人拥有艺术硕士学位。虽然吉尔伯特不否认一些艺术学校的优秀，但它们也是昂贵得令人咂舌，引起人们的担忧，学生们冒着财务危机的风险，只为获得某种合法的标记。这里是吉尔伯特自己在Christa Tippett的播客“存在之道”上的讲话。这是一种人为的东西，你必须接受非常昂贵的培训，然后你就必须立刻开始担心，你是否能以此为业、是否能从中挣钱、是否会获得认可、是否能继续被认可。所有这些都是一种非常奇怪的看待创意的方式，我会说是一种非常新的方式。
Investing money and time doesn't guarantee success. This debt becomes a burden, increasing the necessity for financial reward for your work. This in turn can dull creativity, thus reducing the chances of success, a vicious circle of shame and stress. Debt will always be the abattoir of creative dreams she states. Ultimately, Gilbert says, no matter how great your teachers may be, and no matter how esteemed your academy's reputation, eventually you will have to do the work by yourself. Instead of throwing money at courses, Gilbert suggests engaging with the world more fully, more bravely, draw on your own experiences, share your perspective, work on your craft every day. This makes you a creator, and you won't need to pay someone to tell you that.
投入时间和金钱并不能保证成功。这种债务会成为负担，增加了对财务奖励的需求。这反过来会削弱创造力，从而降低成功的机会，形成一种恶性循环，带来羞耻和压力。她指出，债务将始终是创意梦想的屠宰场。最终，吉尔伯特说，无论你的老师有多棒，你所在学院的声誉有多高，最终你都必须独立完成工作。吉尔伯特建议，不要把钱花在课程上，而是更勇敢地、更充分地与世界接触，借鉴自己的经验，分享自己的观点，每天工作于自己的手艺。这使你成为一个创作者，你不需要支付任何人来告诉你这一点。
Most importantly, be authentic. You've probably had days where your convinced your work is clichéd. You start writing or drawing or painting only to rip up the paper in frustration. You cast your idea on the trash pile and your confidence goes with it. But so what if you're revisiting an idea that's been explored before? Gilbert believes that different generations approach the same issues and inspirations in new contexts. The idea becomes yours as soon as you put your stamp on it. Many creators put too much pressure on themselves to create the next big thing. You don't have to produce the next Mona Lisa or Ulysses. It doesn't have to be profound to be meaningful. For Gilbert, eat prey love was a cathartic endeavor. It just so happened to also become a bestseller.
最重要的是要真实。你可能有过这样的日子，你相信自己的工作太陈旧。你开始写作或绘画，只是为了沮丧地撕碎纸张。你把你的想法扔进垃圾堆，你的自信也随之而去。但是，即使你重新审视一个被探索过的想法又怎样呢？吉尔伯特认为，不同的世代以新的背景来看待相同的问题和灵感。只要你在上面打上你的标记，这个想法就成了你的。许多创作者给自己施加了太大的压力，要创造下一个伟大的作品。你不必创作出下一个蒙娜丽莎或尤利西斯。它不一定要意义深远才有意义。对于吉尔伯特来说，《美食、祈祷、恋爱》是一次宣泄。它只是碰巧成为了畅销书。
Let's now conclude the book insight by reminding ourselves of the key points. First, we talked about how you should lead a creative life driven by curiosity, not fear. It's about doing what you love, no matter what anyone else says or thinks. Second, we dived into the mystical and magical elements of creativity. We discussed ideas having willpower and seeking out human collaborators and how you have to be open to inspiration. Third, we looked at perfectionism, how it can be a burden and why it's more important to value perseverance. Finally, we learned how to trust in our work enough to put it out there in the world regardless of the outcome.
让我们回顾本书，提醒自己关键点。首先，我们谈论了如何通过好奇心而非恐惧来引导创造性生活。这是关于做自己喜欢的事情，不管别人说什么或怎么想。其次，我们深入探讨了创造力的神秘和魔幻元素。我们讨论了创意有意志力并寻找人类合作者，以及如何对灵感保持开放。第三，我们看了完美主义，它可能是个负担，而坚持不懈更重要。最后，我们学习了如何信任自己的工作，无论结果如何，将其放到世界上去。
Upon reading Big Magic, you'll likely identify with some of the frustrations, fears and doubts that Gilbert talks about. The book allows us to examine our own goals and aspirations and any insecurities undermining them. Through a mix of practical strategies and personal encouragement, Gilbert not only coaxes out our creativity but provides guidelines on how to live contentedly. Judging by her life experiences, she practices what she preaches, always abiding by the philosophy, do what makes you happy.
阅读《大魔法》时，你可能会找到一些与吉尔伯特谈论的挫折、恐惧和怀疑有关的共鸣。这本书让我们审视自己的目标和愿望，以及任何破坏它们的不安感。通过实用的策略和个人鼓励的结合，吉尔伯特不仅激发了我们的创造力，还提供了如何满足地生活的指南。从她的生活经验来看，她践行着她所说的理念，做让你快乐的事情。
While Big Magic is undoubtedly useful for readers on their own arc of self-discovery, it is not without its problems. The year-long trip for Eat Pray Love was funded by a $200,000 book advance, sparking questions over the calculated business nature of her spiritual exploration and criticism over her privilege. The book has been dubbed by some as Privlet. Her brave magic creativity retreat in partnership with Cheryl Strayed also drew headlines over the lack of diversity at the event.
《大魔法师》无疑对那些正在自我发现之路上的读者非常有用，但也有其问题。《美食、祈祷与恋爱》中描写的一年旅行是由20万美元的书稿预先费用支付的，这引发了人们对其精心策划的商业性质的质疑，并遭到了指责。有些人称其为 "特权之路"。她与切丽尔·斯特雷德合作的勇敢创意之旅也因活动缺乏多样性而引起了广泛关注。
In response to the conversation around inclusivity, Gilbert said she wants to change how she operates and use her platform to create not only more diversity in the audience, but also on stage. In Big Magic, she appears to tackle the inclusivity issue but comes up short on privilege. Gilbert rejects the notion that the arts belong to a chosen few, instead emphasizing we are all the chosen few. It's reductive to dismiss the impact of social and cultural background on an individual's exposure to the arts, hence her all-encompassing viewpoint is dubious.
针对“包容性”的讨论，吉尔伯特表示她想改变自己的运作方式，利用她的平台不仅为观众带来更多多样性，同时也在舞台上创造更多多样性。在《大魔法》中，她似乎尝试解决包容性问题，但未能充分考虑特权的问题。吉尔伯特反对认为艺术属于少数人的想法，强调我们所有人都是“少数精英”。简单地否认社会和文化背景对个人接触艺术的影响是简化问题，因此她的全面观点有待商榷。
Moreover, one's life circumstances can dictate whether they can pursue a creative life professionally. Gilbert agrees, up to a point. She recognizes that money helps to create the perfect working environment, but she also believes you can create regardless of time, resources, support or patronage. This understanding is problematic as it ignores the nuances of privilege. While it is indeed possible to create without financial freedom, if you can actually afford to take the time in space to create, it's a hell of a lot easier. English screenwriter and actor Phoebe Waller-Bridge acknowledges the impact of her privileged circumstances.
此外，一个人的生活环境可能会决定他们是否能专业地追求创造性的生活。吉尔伯特在一定程度上认同这一点。她承认金钱有助于创造最完美的工作环境，但她也认为无论时间、资源、支持或赞助如何，你都可以创作。然而，这种理解存在问题，因为它忽略了特权的微妙差别。虽然确实可能在没有财务自由的情况下进行创作，但如果你确实有足够的时间和空间去创作，这会容易得多。英国编剧和演员菲比·沃勒-布奇承认她的特权环境对其产生影响。
She recently recognized her background gave her the opportunity to write multi-emynominated TV series Fleabag. Waller-Bridge, who was from titled Nobility and was educated at private schools, said she was able to create the script at a moment in her life where she could take the time and space to write, surrounded by people who could support that. However, she said her privilege in itself did not create Fleabag. She said, I like to think that whatever life I'd lived, wherever I'd been born or brought up, I would still have written the show if I'd been given the encouragement.
最近，她意识到自己的出身为编写多项艾美奖提名的电视剧《Fleabag》创造了机会。沃勒·布里奇来自贵族家庭，接受过私立学校的教育，她说她能够在生命中的某个时刻创作这个剧本，她有时间和空间写作，并被能够支持她的人包围。但是，她认为自己的特权并没有创造出《Fleabag》。她说：“我想，无论我过着怎样的生活，出生在哪里，受到怎样的教育，如果我得到鼓励，我仍然会写出这部节目。”
While her attempt to distance the creation of Fleabag from her privilege is understandable, it is difficult to believe a poverty-stricken Waller-Bridge would have had the freedom and inclination to write a TV script. Novelist Zadie Smith is more frank. When asked about how you fit art into your life, parenting, work, and everything else, her response was, have money. Author and journalist Susanna Scholar commended Smith's honesty for offering herself up as an example of the privilege success of Fords.
尽管Waller-Bridge试图把自己的创作离开特权，但很难相信一个贫困的Waller-Bridge会有自由和倾向来写电视剧的创作。小说家赛迪·史密斯更加坦率。当被问及如何将艺术融入生活、育儿、工作和其他方面时，她的回答是有钱。作家和记者苏珊娜·施克勒赞扬史密斯的诚实，因为她把自己作为福特成功的特权的例子。
Scholar said, Zadie Smith hadn't made time to work. She'd bought it. Additionally, Big Magic's belief that creating art helps you live a full life is a wonderful philosophy, but how realistic is it? In a capitalist society where everything is driven by money and status, is it possible to be fulfilled simply by the creative value of your work without financial reward or recognition? Nonetheless, Gilbert's insistence that done is better than good is a useful mantra for creatives.
学者说，扎迪·史密斯没有花时间创作，而是购买了时间。此外，《创意魔法》认为创作艺术可以让你过上充实的生活，这是一种美妙的哲学，但这有多现实呢？在一个由金钱和地位驱动一切的资本主义社会中，仅凭创作工作的创造价值是否可能让你感到满足，而无需获得经济报酬或认可？尽管如此，吉尔伯特坚持“完成比完美更重要”的信念对创作者来说是一个有用的口号。
Other positive advice is to remain curious, realize you can be an artist even if your art doesn't pay the bills, and to simply keep plugging away. According to Gilbert, Nobel laureate Shemus Heaney eloquently summarizes her philosophy when he said, the aspiring poet is constantly lowering a bucket only halfway down the well, raising it repeatedly to discover nothing but air. It's frustrating. Years of practice, Heaney added, you'll dip into waters that will entice you back. You'll have broken the surface on the pool of yourself.
其他积极的建议是保持好奇心，认识到即使你的艺术无法谋生，你仍然可以成为一名艺术家，简单地继续努力。据吉尔伯特所说，诺贝尔奖得主希缪斯·希尼生（Shemus Heaney）用优美的语言总结了她的哲学，他说，渴望成为诗人的人不断把水桶降到井里，却每次只抬起空桶。这非常沮丧。希尼生补充说，经过多年的实践，你将会探索到魅力无穷的水源，你将会打破自己的局限，浮出水面。
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