Want to be more creative? Go for a walk | Marily Oppezzo

譯者: Helen Chang 審譯者: Marssi Draw

The creative process -- you know this --

創意流程──你們知道的──

from the first idea to the final product,

從第一個想法到最終的產品，

is a long process.

是一個漫長的過程：

It's super-iterative, lots of refinement,

超級重複、很多微調，

blood, sweat, tears and years.

流血、流汗、流淚和漫長的歲月。

And we're not saying you're going to go out for a walk

這可不是說，你出去走一圈，

回來時曠世靈感就唾手而得。

and come back with the Sistine Chapel in your left hand.

So what frame of the creative process did we focus on?

那麼，創意流程的哪一部分 我們應該特別關注呢？

Just this first part.

就是這一開始的部分，

Just brainstorming, coming up with a new idea.

關於腦力激盪，產生新點子。

We actually ran four studies with a variety of people.

實際上我們對各式各樣的人 進行了四項研究，

You were either walking indoors or outdoors.

在室內或室外走路。

And all of these studies found the same conclusion.

所有的研究都取得相同的結論。

I'm only going to tell you about one of them today.

今天我只告訴你們其中一個。

One of the tests we used for creativity was alternate uses.

其中一個創造力的測試是替代用途。

In this test, you have four minutes.

你有四分鐘的測試時間

Your job is to come up with as many other ways to use common everyday objects

盡可能為普通日常物品 想出多種其他用途。

as you can think of.

So, for example, what else would you do with a key,

例如，鑰匙除了用來開鎖，

other than to use it for opening up a lock?

還能用來做什麼？

Clearly, you could use it as a third eyeball for a giraffe, right?

很顯然，你可以把它當作 長頸鹿的第三個眼球，對吧？

Maybe. That's sort of interesting, kind of new. But is it creative?

也許，有點意思，算是新的。

但它有創意嗎？

So people came up with as many ideas as they could,

人們盡可能提出多種想法，

and we had to decide:

我們必須判斷

Is this creative or not?

是否有創意？

The definition of creativity that a lot of people go with

很多人認同創造力的定義

is "appropriate novelty."

是「適當的新穎」。

For something to be appropriate, it has to be realistic,

因為要適當，它必須是實際的，

so unfortunately, you can't use a key as an eyeball.

所以，很不幸， 你不能把鑰匙當作眼球。

Boo!

噓！

But "novel," the second thing, is that nobody had to have said it.

但，第二樣的「新穎」， 必須是沒有人說過的。

So for us, it had to be appropriate first,

所以對我們來說，首先要適當，

and then for novelty,

然後要新穎，

nobody else in the entire population that we surveyed could have said it.

在所有我們調查過的人當中 沒有其他人這樣說過。

So you might think you could use a key to scratch somebody's car,

或許你想到可以用鑰匙 去刮傷某人的汽車，

but if somebody else said that, you didn't get credit for it.

但如果有別的人也這樣說， 你就不算得分，

你們兩個都不算得分。

Neither of you did.

However, only one person said this:

但是，只有一個人這樣說：

"If you were dying and it were a murder mystery,

「如果這是個謀殺之謎而你快死了，

and you had to carve the name of the murderer into the ground

你必須把兇手的名字和你的遺言 （用鑰匙）一同刻在地面上。」

with your dying words."

One person said this.

有個人這樣說。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And it's a creative idea, because it's appropriate and it's novel.

這是個有創意的想法， 因為它適當且新穎。

You either did this test and came up with ideas while you were seated

你要麼坐著的時候受測 而想出新想法，

or while you were walking on a treadmill.

要麼在跑步機上行走的時候想。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

They did the test twice, with different objects.

他們測試兩次，用不同的物件。

Three groups: the first group sat first

共三組：第一組先坐著，

and then sat again for the second test.

然後第二次測試時又坐著；

The second group sat first

第二組先坐，

and then did the second test while walking on a treadmill.

然後第二次在跑步機上行走時測試。

The third group -- and this is interesting --

第三組，這很有趣，

they walked on the treadmill first, and then they sat.

他們先在跑步機上走， 然後坐了下來。

OK, so the two groups that sat together for the first test,

好，第一次測試時坐著的兩個小組，

they looked pretty similar to each other,

他們的結果看起來很相似，

and they averaged about 20 creative ideas per person.

平均每個人有 20 個新點子。

The group that was walking on the treadmill

先在跑步機上走的那一組人，

did almost twice as well.

他們的表現幾乎雙倍的好。

And they were just walking on a treadmill in a windowless room.

而他們只不過在 無窗房間裡的跑步機上走走而已。

請記住，他們參加了兩次測試。

Remember, they took the test twice.

The people who sat twice for that second test didn't get any better;

兩次都坐著的人 第二次測試並沒有好轉，

practice didn't help.

練習沒有幫助。

But these same people who were sitting and then went on the treadmill

但是那些先坐再上跑步機走的人，

got a boost from walking.

步行使他們加分。

Here's the interesting thing.

有趣的是，

The people who were walking on the treadmill

那些在跑步機上走過的人，

still had a residue effect of the walking,

仍然殘留著步行的效應，

and they were still creative afterwards.

之後他們仍然有創意。

So the implication of this is that you should go for a walk

所以這實驗的含義是

在下次開重要會議前應該去散步，

before your next big meeting and just start brainstorming right away.

立刻開始腦力激盪。

We have five tips for you

我們給你五個提示，

that will help make this the best effect possible.

將有助於達到最佳效果。

First, you want to pick a problem or a topic to brainstorm.

首先，挑一個腦力激盪的問題或題目。

So, this is not the shower effect,

這不是淋浴的效果，

when you're in the shower and all of a sudden,

不是在你洗澡的時候，突然間，

a new idea pops out of the shampoo bottle.

從洗髮精瓶中蹦出一個新想法。

This is something you're thinking about ahead of time.

這是事先思考，

在散步時刻意思考， 腦力激盪出不同的觀點。

They're intentionally thinking about brainstorming a different perspective

on the walk.

Secondly -- I get asked this a lot:

其次，我常被問到：

Is this OK while running?

跑步可以嗎？

Well, the answer for me is that if I were running,

我的答案是

如果我正在跑步，

the only new idea I would have would be to stop running, so ...

腦袋裡會產生的唯一新想法

就是「我要停下來不跑了」， 所以......

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But if running for you is a comfortable pace, good.

但是如果跑步的步調 讓你覺得很舒適，很好。

It turns out, whatever physical activity is not taking a lot of attention.

事實證明，任何不需要你 特別專注的運動都好。

So just walking at a comfortable pace is a good choice.

所以，以舒適的步調散步 是個好選擇。

Also, you want to come up with as many ideas as you can.

另外，你得要盡可能 想出更多的新點子。

One key of creativity is to not lock on that first idea.

一個創造力的關鍵 是不要鎖定那第一個想法，

Keep going.

繼續想，

繼續想新點子，

Keep coming up with new ones, until you pick one or two to pursue.

直到你挑出一兩個來發展。

You might worry that you don't want to write them down,

你可能擔心沒寫下來，

because what if you forget them?

如果忘了怎麼辦？

So the idea here is to speak them.

這裡的做法是說出來。

Everybody was speaking their new ideas.

每個人都說出新的想法。

So you can put your headphones on and record through your phone

你可以戴上耳機，用手機錄音，

and then just pretend you're having a creative conversation, right?

假裝你在進行創造性的對話，

Because the act of writing your idea down is already a filter.

因為把想法寫下來的行為 已經是一個過濾的動作。

You're going to be like, "Is this good enough to write down?"

你可能會想：「這值得寫下來嗎？」

然後你把它寫下來。

And then you write it down.

所以，盡可能多說， 錄下來，稍後再考慮吧。

So just speak as many as you can, record them and think about them later.

And finally: don't do this forever. Right?

最後，不要一直這樣做。

If you're on the walk and that idea's not coming to you,

如果你散步時想不出點子，

come back to it later at another time.

稍後再回來做。

I think we're coming up on a break right now,

似乎我們的中場休息時間到了，

so I have an idea:

我有個想法：

Why don't you grab a leash

何不拿一條鏈索，

and take your thoughts for a walk?

牽著你的想法去散步？

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）