创作成就的“11分钟效应”
过去20年里，我在播客**《Design Matters》中采访了数百位创作者，探讨他们的创作动机、雄心，以及在世界上感到完整和自在的感受。我曾采访一位著名画家，询问她在展览开幕后，那份成就感能持续多久。她羞涩地笑了笑，回答说：“大约11分钟。”这并非个例，随后我通过《PRINT》**杂志的问卷调研发现，对于许多创作者而言，成就带来的喜悦往往转瞬即逝。无论是诗人出版作品、设计师获得奖项，还是音乐家在创作过程中的宁静，人们普遍感到成就在实现后很快就会消散。
Original English Source
For the last 20 years, I've interviewed hundreds of people about their motivation to create, their ambition and what it feels like to be whole and at home in the world on my podcast, "Design Matters." In one episode several years ago, I interviewed a famous painter about a recent exhibition, a show that had taken years to create. Given the magnitude of the accomplishment, I asked her how long the feeling of pride lasted after opening night. She looked at me, she smiled sheepishly and stated, "About 11 minutes." (Laughter) I thought she was joking, but she wasn't. Since that interview, I've come to realize she's not the only one whose achievements feel ephemeral and fleeting. Not by a long shot. Over the past four years, in addition to my interviews, I've conducted my own version of a Proustian questionnaire for PRINT magazine. Hundreds of creative people have answered the same 10 questions about their life and their work. Given the response I had with the famous painter, I included this question: How long does the feeling of pride and joy at accomplishing something last for you? As I collected my responses to the questionnaire and reviewed all of my transcripts of my interviews and conversations, I saw how, up close, for so many people, the pride and joy of accomplishment dissipates almost as quickly as it manifests. I heard it in the words of a poet who shared that the high of publishing a book lasted until she sent in her final manuscript. I heard it in the voice of a designer who admitted he felt restless the very night of an awards ceremony. And I heard it in the plaintiff confession of a musician who told me, "The only time I feel at peace is when I'm in the studio. Not on stage, not after. Only while I'm making."文化困境：为何我们在不断追求更多？
我自己也终身处于这种感觉中——出版书籍、举办展览、完成TED演讲后，那种本应达到巅峰的感觉，其喜悦在几天甚至几小时内就会蒸发，甚至有一次在几分钟内就消失了。我对此感到困惑，并执着于寻找原因：为什么这种创作成就感如此转瞬即逝？为什么我们如此渴望更多？是自我意识、雄心壮志，还是对获取的沉迷？在这个痴迷于成就、通过指标（如点赞、浏览量、追随者、奖项、销售额）衡量成功、崇尚“忙碌”和“磨练”的文化中，我们往往将“可见度”等同于“价值”。
Original English Source
Another confession. I felt this way my whole life. After publishing a book, after mounting an exhibition, after a TED Talk, after what should feel like I've reached the pinnacle, moments I've dreamed of for decades. The joy evaporates within days, sometimes hours, and once, terrifyingly, within minutes. And then for so many people, what happens next? The quest to create, to make something bigger, more ambitious or more challenging begins again. I found this all utterly confounding, and I became consumed with the question of why? Why does the feeling of creative achievement slip away almost as soon as we grasp it? Why are we in such a rush to want something more? Is it ego, ambition, addiction to attainment? We're living in a culture now obsessed with achievement, and we measure that success with metrics, likes, views, followers, awards, trophies, sales and we celebrate the hustle. We glorify the grind, and we equate visibility with value.回归创作的本质：不仅仅是为了被看见
在采访了超过1000人后，我相信背后另有深意。那些我最敬佩的创作者，他们并非为了被关注，而是在回应一种“创作、塑造、构建、想象、表达”的召唤。如果真正的回报不是成就本身，而是创作的行为呢？我们常被告知要“假装直到成功”（fake it until you make it），但我认为应该“创作直到成功”（make it until I make it）。创作就像氧气，停止创作时，生活就会变得难以呼吸。虽然我仍在渴求认可、通过外部指标衡量自己，但我正在缓慢学习：这些时刻永远无法满足我，因为它们代表某种匮乏，而“创作行为”本身才是真正的丰盈。
Original English Source
Now after 20 years of interviewing more than 1,000 people, I've come to believe that something else is at play. When I look at the creative people I admire most, I see people answering a calling. A calling that says create, shape, build, imagine, express. Not necessarily to be seen, but to be. What if the actual reward is not accomplishment but the act of creating? Think about it. The finished products and trappings of creative accomplishment are often seen as the goal. And if we haven't yet reached mastery, we're told we have to fake it until we make it. Pretend. But I don't think people should have to fake anything. Instead, I'd rather make it until I make it. You see, I believe that the act of making is like oxygen. When the making stops, it becomes hard to breathe. Now I admit I still struggle with this. I crave recognition, I still measure myself by external markers of success, and I'm still racing towards multiple finish lines. But I'm learning, albeit slowly, that these moments will never, ever be enough. They can't be, because in the end, they represent a certain scarcity, while making is the actual abundance.不必急于巅峰：在慢速攀登中体验创作
我曾采访过Van Halen乐队的前主唱大卫·李·罗斯（David Lee Roth）。谈及职业生涯巅峰时，他感叹道：当你达到那个巅峰时必须格外小心，因为那里总是寒冷、孤独，且只有一条路可走。那一刻我意识到，我不希望在临终前才达到巅峰，我希望慢慢走上那座山，一路上不断创作。因此，当下一次你完成作品时，不要感到绝望。那转瞬即逝的成就感并非缺陷，而是创作状态的一部分。请顺应召唤，继续创作，慢慢成为你想成为的那个创造性个体。
Original English Source
Several years ago, I interviewed David Lee Roth, the swashbuckling former frontman of the rock group Van Halen. I first became a fan of the band in the mid-1980s, after the release of their five-time platinum album, "1984." The record sold over 12 million copies, produced four singles, peaked at number two on the Billboard charts, and was only held back from the number one position by Michael Jackson's "Thriller." I interviewed David Lee in 2019 and asked him what it felt like to reach the peak of the tallest mountain in his storied career. He paused and was reflective as he recalled the experience. And what he said next really surprised me. He told me you have to be really careful when you reach that peak, as it's always cold, you’re often alone, and there's only one direction to go. And it occurred to me right then and there that I didn't want to peak until the day before I die. (Laughter) And I wanted to take my time, slowly, walking up that mountain, making new things all along the way. So the next time you finish anything, a book, a poem, a song, a painting, try not to despair. That fleeting feeling of accomplishment isn't a flaw. It's part of the creative condition. Instead, heed the calling. Continue to make things, and maybe, just maybe, take your time becoming the creative being that you want to be. Thank you. (Applause)📌 文中提及的人物和组织
公司/组织: Van Halen
媒体/书籍: Design Matters, PRINT