Embrace the Shake | Phil Hansen | TED Talks

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: illusion Hung 校对人员: Tsing Tsai

So, when I was in art school,

当我就读艺术学院时

I developed a shake in my hand,

手开始出现颤抖症状

and this was the straightest line I could draw.

这是我能画出最直的线

Now in hindsight, it was actually good for some things,

现在看来 其实这对某些事来说还挺好的

like mixing a can of paint or shaking a Polaroid,

例如摇匀罐中的颜料，或甩干拍立得相片

but at the time this was really doomsday.

但当时的感觉确实像世界末日

This was the destruction of my dream of becoming an artist.

这摧毁了我成为艺术家的梦想

The shake developed out of, really,

颤抖症状事实上来自于

a single-minded pursuit of pointillism,

我专研点画的结果

just years of making tiny, tiny dots.

经年累月地描绘极小的点

And eventually these dots went from being perfectly round

最后这些点从完美的圆形

to looking more like tadpoles, because of the shake.

变成类似蝌蚪状，因为颤抖的缘故

So to compensate, I'd hold the pen tighter,

为了改善这一点，我将笔握得更紧

and this progressively made the shake worse,

却使颤抖症状地更加厉害

so I'd hold the pen tighter still.

因此我只能将笔握得更紧

And this became a vicious cycle that ended up

这成了恶性循环

causing so much pain and joint issues,

最后导致剧痛和关节问题

I had trouble holding anything.

我几乎握不住任何东西

And after spending all my life wanting to do art,

就在努力追寻从事艺术的毕生梦想后

I left art school, and then I left art completely.

我离开艺术学院，同时与艺术分道扬镳

But after a few years, I just couldn't stay away from art,

但几年后，我对艺术依然无法忘怀

and I decided to go to a neurologist about the shake

我决定求助神经科医生，诊治颤抖症状

and discovered I had permanent nerve damage.

却发现我的神经已永久受损

And he actually took one look at my squiggly line,

事实上，医生看了一眼我画的扭曲线条

and said, "Well, why don't you just embrace the shake?"

开口说，「你何不试着与颤抖共处呢？」

So I did. I went home, I grabbed a pencil,

因此我依言照办，回家后，我拿起笔来

and I just started letting my hand shake and shake.

任由我的手不停颤抖

I was making all these scribble pictures.

我创作出类似这样的涂鸦

And even though it wasn't the kind of art

即使这并非 我理想中的艺术作品，感觉却很棒

that I was ultimately passionate about, it felt great.

即使这并非 我理想中的艺术作品，感觉却很棒

And more importantly, once I embraced the shake,

更重要的是，一旦我设法与颤抖共处

I realized I could still make art.

我发现我依然能创作艺术

I just had to find a different approach

我只需要寻找不同的方式

to making the art that I wanted.

创作我想要的艺术

Now, I still enjoyed the fragmentation of pointillism,

现在，我依然喜爱点画的片段感

seeing these little tiny dots come together

看着这些小点聚集成一幅完整的图画

to make this unified whole.

看着这些小点聚集成一幅完整的图画

So I began experimenting with other ways to fragment images

因此我开始尝试以其他方式分割图像

where the shake wouldn't affect the work,

避免因颤抖而影响作品

like dipping my feet in paint and walking on a canvas,

例如用脚沾颜料，在画布上行走

or, in a 3D structure consisting of two-by-fours,

或以木条组成二乘四的3D结构

creating a 2D image by burning it with a blowtorch.

用喷灯在表面烙上2D图像

I discovered that, if I worked on a larger scale and with bigger materials,

我发现，如果使用大型素材从事大型创作

my hand really wouldn't hurt,

手部的问题完全不会造成影响

and after having gone from a single approach to art,

当我跳脱单一艺术创作方式后

I ended up having an approach to creativity

我找到激发创造力的方法

that completely changed my artistic horizons.

使我的艺术视野完全改观

This was the first time I'd encountered this idea

这是我第一次领悟到这个观点

that embracing a limitation could actually drive creativity.

处于局限中确实能激发创造力

At the time, I was finishing up school,

当时我即将毕业

and I was so excited to get a real job and finally afford new art supplies.

我十分高兴能找到一份正职 终于买得起新的美术工具

I had this horrible little set of tools, and I felt like

我有一套十分简陋的工具组

I could do so much more with the supplies

我自认能创作出更棒的作品

I thought an artist was supposed to have.

只要拥有我理想中的艺术家必备工具

I actually didn't even have a regular pair of scissors.

事实上我连普通剪刀也没有

I was using these metal shears until I stole a pair

我一直使用金属剪代替 直到我从办公室偷来一把剪刀

from the office that I worked at.

我一直使用金属剪代替 直到我从办公室偷来一把剪刀

So I got out of school, I got a job, I got a paycheck,

因此我离开学校、找到工作、领到薪水

I got myself to the art store,

我前往美术用品店

and I just went nuts buying supplies.

疯狂地采购美术用品

And then when I got home, I sat down

回家后，我坐下来

and I set myself to task to really try to create something

全心投入工作，努力试着创作某些

just completely outside of the box.

完全跳脱框架的作品

But I sat there for hours, and nothing came to mind.

但我坐了好几个小时，却毫无灵感

The same thing the next day, and then the next,

同样情形日复一日地上演

quickly slipping into a creative slump.

我瞬间陷入创作低潮

And I was in a dark place for a long time, unable to create.

很长一段时间，我处于黑暗中，无法创作

And it didn't make any sense, because I was finally able

这完全没道理，因为我终于能

to support my art, and yet I was creatively blank.

致力于艺术创作，却丝毫没有创作灵感

But as I searched around in the darkness,

但当我在黑暗中摸索时

I realized I was actually paralyzed by all of the choices

我意识到，事实上我已被 之前不曾拥有的众多选择麻痹

that I never had before.

我意识到，事实上我已被 之前不曾拥有的众多选择麻痹

And it was then that I thought back to my jittery hands.

此时我想起那双颤抖的手

Embrace the shake.

与颤抖共处

And I realized, if I ever wanted my creativity back,

于是我领悟到，如果想找回创作力

I had to quit trying so hard to think outside of the box

必须不再专注于跳脱框架的念头

and get back into it.

试着回到框架中

I wondered, could you become more creative, then,

我思索 难道追寻极限使人变得更有创造力吗？

by looking for limitations?

我思索 难道追寻极限使人变得更有创造力吗？

What if I could only create with a dollar's worth of supplies?

如果我只能用价值一美元的素材创作呢？

At this point, I was spending a lot of my evenings in --

当时我花了许多夜晚－

well, I guess I still spend a lot of my evenings in Starbucks —

好吧，我想我现在还是 经常在星巴克度过夜晚时光－

but I know you can ask for an extra cup if you want one,

我知道可以跟店员多要一个纸杯

so I decided to ask for 50.

因此我决定要 50 个

Surprisingly, they just handed them right over,

令人讶异地，他们二话不说地给了我

and then with some pencils I already had,

藉由一些我原本就有的铅笔

I made this project for only 80 cents.

仅花了 80 美分，我就完成这项作品

It really became a moment of clarification for me

那一刻我恍然大悟

that we need to first be limited

我们必须先处于限制中

in order to become limitless.

才能超越限制

I took this approach of thinking inside the box

我把这个局限于框架中的想法运用到

to my canvas, and wondered what if, instead of

画布上，我思索，如果无法

painting on a canvas, I could only paint on my chest?

在画布上作画，只能在自己胸前作画呢？

So I painted 30 images, one layer at a time,

于是我画了 30 张图，一次一层

one on top of another,

彼此相叠

with each picture representing an influence in my life.

每幅画都代表某个影响我人生的事件

Or what if, instead of painting with a brush,

或者，如果无法用笔刷作画

I could only paint with karate chops? (Laughter)

只能用手劈呢？ （笑声）

So I'd dip my hands in paint,

因此我将双手沾上颜料

and I just attacked the canvas,

直接劈向画布

and I actually hit so hard that I bruised a joint in my pinkie

事实上我劈得太用力，造成小指关节瘀青

and it was stuck straight for a couple of weeks.

好几个星期，我的小指只能直挺挺地竖着

(Laughter) (Applause)

（笑声）（掌声）

Or, what if instead of relying on myself,

或者，如果无法靠自己创作

I had to rely on other people

必须仰赖他人

to create the content for the art?

完成创作内容呢？

So for six days, I lived in front of a webcam.

因此整整六天，我在网络摄像头前过日子

I slept on the floor and I ate takeout,

我睡地板、吃外卖食物

and I asked people to call me and share a story with me

我请别人打电话给我，和我分享故事

about a life-changing moment.

关于人生中的转折点

Their stories became the art

他们的故事成了艺术创作

as I wrote them onto the revolving canvas.

我把这些故事写在旋转画布上

(Applause)

（掌声）

Or what if instead of making art to display,

或者，如果创作的目的并非展示

I had to destroy it?

而是销毁呢？

This seemed like the ultimate limitation,

这就像最终极限

being an artist without art.

成为一位没有作品的艺术家

This destruction idea turned into a yearlong project

这个毁灭性概念转变成长达一年的计划

that I called Goodbye Art,

我称之为“告别艺术”

where each and every piece of art had to be destroyed after its creation.

每件作品完成后都必须销毁

In the beginning of Goodbye Art, I focused on

创作“告别艺术”之初，我将焦点放在

forced destruction, like this image of Jimi Hendrix,

强制性毁灭，例如这幅Jimi Hendrix图像

made with over 7,000 matches.

由七千多根火柴棒组成

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Then I opened it up to creating art that was destroyed naturally.

接着我采用自然销毁方式进行创作

I looked for temporary materials,

我寻找暂时性素材

like spitting out food --

例如口中吐出的食物

(Laughter) —

（笑声）

sidewalk chalk

涂鸦粉笔

and even frozen wine.

甚至冷冻酒

The last iteration of destruction

最后一系列的毁灭性创作是

was to try to produce something that didn't actually exist in the first place.

尝试创造一些不曾真正存在的画面

So I organized candles on a table, I lit them, and then blew them out,

因此我将蜡烛排在桌上 将它点燃，然后吹熄

then repeated this process over and over with the same set of candles,

用同一批蜡烛一再重复这个过程

then assembled the videos into the larger image.

然后将拍摄的视频组成一幅大型图像

So the end image was never visible as a physical whole.

因此最终图像从未完整存在

It was destroyed before it ever existed.

它在诞生前即遭受毁灭的命运

In the course of this Goodbye Art series,

从事“告别艺术系列”期间

I created 23 different pieces

我创作了 23 件不同作品

with nothing left to physically display.

不曾留下任何可展示的实体作品

What I thought would be the ultimate limitation

我原本认为的最终限制

actually turned out to be the ultimate liberation,

事实上成了最终解放

as each time I created,

每一次的创作过程中

the destruction brought me back to a neutral place

毁灭阶段都使我重新归零

where I felt refreshed and ready to start the next project.

我感到宛如新生 随时能开始进行下一个计划

It did not happen overnight.

这并非一夕可成之事

There were times when my projects failed to get off the ground,

有时我的计划一开始就遇上阻碍

or, even worse, after spending tons of time on them

更糟的是，花了许多时间后

the end image was kind of embarrassing.

成果却难以见人

But having committed to the process, I continued on,

但既然已投入创作过程，我坚持到底

and something really surprising came out of this.

最后成果往往出人意料

As I destroyed each project,

摧毁每一件作品的过程中

I was learning to let go,

我学会了放下

let go of outcomes, let go of failures,

放下结果、放下失败

and let go of imperfections.

放下不完美

And in return, I found a process of creating art

得到的回报是，我找到 持续不断的艺术创作过程

that's perpetual and unencumbered by results.

不因结果受限

I found myself in a state of constant creation,

我发现自己处于持续创作状态

thinking only of what's next

只想着下一个创作计划

and coming up with more ideas than ever.

灵感如泉涌般不断浮现

When I think back to my three years away from art,

当我回想远离艺术的三年时光

away from my dream, just going through the motions,

远离我的梦想，只是如行尸走肉般度日

instead of trying to find a different way to continue that dream,

不曾试着找出不同方法，继续这个梦想

I just quit, I gave up.

我只是离开、放弃

And what if I didn't embrace the shake?

如果我不曾尝试与颤抖共处呢？

Because embracing the shake for me

因为对我来说，与颤抖共处

wasn't just about art and having art skills.

不仅关乎艺术或拥有创作技巧

It turned out to be about life, and having life skills.

事实上这关乎人生，及拥有生活技能

Because ultimately, most of what we do

因为最终，大部分我们所做的事

takes place here, inside the box, with limited resources.

都发生在这里 局限于框架中和有限的资源下

Learning to be creative within the confines of our limitations

学习在自我极限中发挥创造力

is the best hope we have to transform ourselves

是改变自我的最佳方式

and, collectively, transform our world.

集合众人的力量，将可改变世界

Looking at limitations as a source of creativity

将局限视为创意来源的想法

changed the course of my life.

改变了我的人生历程

Now, when I run into a barrier

现在，当我遇上瓶颈

or I find myself creatively stumped,

或发现自己陷入创作低潮

I sometimes still struggle,

有时我依然得与低潮抗争

but I continue to show up for the process

但我不曾逃避这个过程

and try to remind myself of the possibilities,

试着提醒自己其中的可能性

like using hundreds of real, live worms to make an image,

例如用上百只活生生的虫创作一幅图像

using a pushpin to tattoo a banana,

用图钉替香蕉纹身

or painting a picture with hamburger grease.

或用汉堡的油脂作画

(Laughter)

（笑声）

One of my most recent endeavors

我最近努力的方向是

is to try to translate the habits of creativity that I've learned

试着将我学到的创作诀窍

into something others can replicate.

转变成可让他人复制的技巧

Limitations may be the most unlikely of places

局限或许是最不可能 驾驭创造力的方式，但或许是

to harness creativity, but perhaps

局限或许是最不可能 驾驭创造力的方式，但或许是

one of the best ways to get ourselves out of ruts,

使我们跳脱框架的最佳方法

rethink categories and challenge accepted norms.

重新进行规划，挑战既有规范

And instead of telling each other to seize the day,

除了勉励彼此活在当下

maybe we can remind ourselves every day

也许我们可以时时提醒自己

to seize the limitation.

拥抱局限

Thank you.

谢谢

(Applause)

（掌声）