Grumpy humans of the world, listen here. According to a new University of Otago study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, the path to that happy state of mind you’ve heard so much about requires you get creative ― quite literally, and just once a day.
全世界暴躁的人類，給我聽好了。根據(jù)奧塔哥大學(xué)發(fā)表在《積極心理學(xué)》雜志上的一篇新文章，文縐縐的說法，也許你聽過很多次了，你的快樂很大程度上取決于你的創(chuàng)造力，其實(shí)你只需要每天做一件燒腦的事情，你就會(huì)很快樂。

So you’re not the next Picasso. Same. But flexing your creative muscles doesn’t have to mean preparing an oeuvre for your eventual solo show. A creative exercise can take the shape of anything from kitting to writing to singing to designing. All that matters is that you choose a creative goal for yourself and follow through, something that involves expressing original ideas in a useful or artistic way.
你不是下一個(gè)畢加索，所以，說動(dòng)用一下你的創(chuàng)造力也不是說讓你去準(zhǔn)備個(gè)人藝術(shù)展。一項(xiàng)創(chuàng)造性的活動(dòng)可以是任何事情，不管是編織還是寫作，唱歌亦或是設(shè)計(jì)。重要的是：你要為自己頂一個(gè)需要?jiǎng)佑脛?chuàng)造力的目標(biāo)并完成它，這個(gè)目標(biāo)應(yīng)該需要你動(dòng)用自己的原創(chuàng)力，不管是走藝術(shù)路線還是實(shí)用路線。

“There is growing recognition in psychology research that creativity is associated with emotional functioning,” Dr. Conner explained in a statement. “However, most of this work focuses on how emotions benefit or hamper creativity, not whether creativity benefits or hampers emotional wellbeing.”
“越來越多的認(rèn)知心理學(xué)研究表明，創(chuàng)意性的活動(dòng)與情緒有關(guān)?！笨导{博士解釋道，“然而這些研究的大部分主要探討情緒對于創(chuàng)意性活動(dòng)的正面或者負(fù)面的影響，而不是創(chuàng)意性活動(dòng)對于情緒是否有積極或是消極的作用。”

To test their hypothesis, psychologists conducted a 13-day study of a sample of 658 young adults to gauge the effect of creative activity on one’s emotional state of mind. Every day, the participants used a diary to document how much time they spent on creative exercises and the emotional changes they experienced, both positive and negative, as a result. Researchers used the term “PA,” or “positive affect,” to refer to feelings of happiness, joy, excitement and enthusiasm they encountered.
為了驗(yàn)證他們的假設(shè)，心理學(xué)家們對658名年滿18歲的青年進(jìn)行了一項(xiàng)為期13天的樣本調(diào)查。每天參與者們用日記記錄下他們每天進(jìn)行的創(chuàng)意性活動(dòng)的時(shí)間，以及情緒上正面或者是負(fù)面的變化。用術(shù)語“PA”來代替“積極的結(jié)果”，表明他們在這一天的正面情緒，比如高興，開心，激動(dòng)興奮，對于事物的熱情。

After 13 days, the psychologists tracked what they described as an “upward spiral for wellbeing and creativity” for those who partook in daily creative tasks. According to the study, getting artistic yields a major boost in “PA” that takes hold the following day.
13天以后，那些每天都進(jìn)行創(chuàng)造性活動(dòng)的被調(diào)查者，心理學(xué)家們將調(diào)查他們的結(jié)果總結(jié)為“創(chuàng)造性活動(dòng)給他們的創(chuàng)造力和好處是螺旋式上升的。”根據(jù)研究結(jié)果，創(chuàng)意性活動(dòng)很大程度上產(chǎn)生積極影響，而且這種影響能在之后一天繼續(xù)保持。

However, researchers determined no “cross-day effect” between creative activities and “PA,” meaning that one’s increased mood could not predict whether or not the subject would participate in another creative exercise the same day. Dr. Conner and her co-researchers expressed that it is, though not predictable, rather likely. As they put it: “engaging in creative behavior leads to increases in wellbeing the next day, and this increased wellbeing is likely to facilitate creative activity on the same day.
“研究者們認(rèn)為創(chuàng)意性活動(dòng)和積極地情緒之間沒有絕對的影響，意味著一個(gè)人情緒的變好也不能確定，同一天他是否會(huì)參加另一項(xiàng)創(chuàng)造性活動(dòng)。但康納博士和一起參加的調(diào)研人員認(rèn)為，雖然不能絕對確定，但是這個(gè)人很有可能會(huì)參加。他們的觀點(diǎn)是“參加一項(xiàng)創(chuàng)造性活動(dòng)能夠提高隔天繼續(xù)參加的積極性，同時(shí)也能夠提高當(dāng)天參加創(chuàng)意性活動(dòng)的積極性。”

The results reflect what many aspiring writers, artists and performers already know: getting creative feels good, and those positive effects can and do seep into other aspects of daily life. Also, happy feelings could inspire you to make more art. So start a sketchbook, get crafting, dance around in your underwear ― anything to get your imagination pumping and your senses pulsing. And we mean today.
研究的結(jié)果也印證了，許多富有激情的作家、藝術(shù)家、演員已經(jīng)知悉的事實(shí)，（那就是）創(chuàng)造性的活動(dòng)讓人變得更加積極向上，而這些積極的影響會(huì)滲透到日常生活的方方面面。與此同時(shí)，這種愉悅的情緒能夠創(chuàng)造出更多的藝術(shù)杰作。所以（還等什么）拿出你的速寫本、開始雕刻、穿著內(nèi)衣開始起舞——任何讓你的思潮涌動(dòng)、血脈噴張的活動(dòng)都算。從今天就開始~

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