NO MISTAKES JUST HAPPY ACCIDENTS
“NO
MISTAKES - JUST HAPPY ACCIDENTS”
Written
by Eric Plaut
As of this writing
(October 8th), the leaves are starting to turn from green to colors mixed
in with red, yellow, ochre and—eventually—brown. It’s as if Bob Ross has once again gotten out
his giant round paintbrush to decorate the trees each fall. As on his show The Joy of Painting, Bob would spontaneously work on a portrait of
nature from inception to his finishing touches and signature. Filmed in a 30-minute timeslot, Bob used a
“wet-on-wet” technique with each oil painting.
He’d also chat with his TV audience throughout this entire process.
Bob would teach his
version of painting to others throughout the United States. There were also certified instructors in this
method including Bob’s son Steve. One of
the show’s producers or Steve, who dubbed his dad “Shorty”, would paint an
occasional landscape on the program. A
military veteran who didn’t like to shout once he retired from active duty, Bob
Ross found solace in his art and with nature and animals including Peapod the
Squirrel.
One important fact to
note is that Bob Ross never reshot any sequences whenever bloopers happened. He was fond of saying: “There are no mistakes
in our world—just ‘happy accidents’!” A
“happy accident” could mean that a moment of epiphany occurred. It may have been something that was part of
the process of a new discovery. For
those who enjoyed Music Television (MTV) in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s,
that generation may remember a Joy of
Painting parody on Family Guy or
even Bob’s self-parody as he painted a couple of scenes of nature for MTV. He concluded that MTV was either a “land of
happy little trees” or “just fluffy white clouds”.
What has been a moment
of epiphany for you? Somewhere, somehow
there is a “happy accident” for you to discover out there. Throughout that pallet of colors and a
collection of brushes one will find their so-called “picture to paint”. Bob Ross was always amazed when he told his
audience about some of his listeners.
Even though they never picked up a paintbrush before, his viewers were
inspired by The Joy of Painting and
began to paint for fun or along with the show.
But Bob always encouraged his audience to never copy his work and to
make their paintings their own.
Quite a number of
people out there, however, may not be artistically inclined or have the tenacity
to stick to it. Don’t worry about it—there
seems to be something out there for everyone.
It’s important to have that “stick-to-it-iveness” within your life. Whether it is a hobby, an occupation or even a
job-hunt, the trick is to weather whatever storm is coming your way and give up
so easily. Your persistence will someday
pay off down the road.
Now back to the drawing
board—or in this matter, the canvas. Bob
would conclude each program by signing “ROSS”
in red and wishing his viewers: “Happy Painting—and God Bless, my friend.” (By the way, rosso means red in Italian.)
While Bob Ross has been gone for the past twenty years, his spirit
continues to live on. Keep painting a
great picture with whatever medium suits you.
And more importantly, find that so-called “happy accident” that will get
you to where you will eventually need to go.
AUTHOR’S NOTES
Keep up the search for
that so-called “happy accident” you’re looking for. That one moment of epiphany—no matter how
long one might search for it—is worth the wait.
Be sure to write down not only what your goals are, but ones that
somehow tend to hit you without thinking.
It may lead you to something better, yet not always bigger.
Best of luck on the job
search. Also, try to find that moment of
self-discovery that you may not have originally been looking for. Remember that neither Consciousness Magazine nor I will take any responsibility with
another person’s job search. Please talk
with a licensed professional on your career search and/or when you have any
questions. Thank you.
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