The Wisdom of Bob Ross for Writers
The mellow painter was also a philosopher
Growing up in the 1980s, I spent a lot of time watching PBS. My favorite was (and is) Bob Ross, celebrated mellow-man and painter extraordinaire. His soothing voice and the ASMR vibes from the sound of the paintbrush were intoxicating. They still are.
Besides being able to whip up a colorful mountainscape or forest painting in under thirty minutes, Ross imparted wisdom while he worked. Simple words, mic drop truths.
I got to thinking about Ross and his advice, realizing it applied as much to a writer’s creative experience as someone picking up a paintbrush and putting it to canvas. Bob Ross was much more than a source of painting entertainment. He was a fount of wisdom. Here are some of his best nuggets.
“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
This is perhaps one of Ross’ most famous catchphrases. He’d swipe some paint in the wrong place and then transform it into a rock or another tree. Instead of allowing his rogue stroke to ruin the whole painting, he used it to change things up.
While finding an error in a published piece or missing a deadline can feel like a mistake, learning from such “happy accidents” can yield wisdom we wouldn’t…
