The wisdom of Bob Ross

Like many of us, I’m guilty of falling down the proverbial rabbit hole known as the internet from time to time.

On this occasion, I came across a YouTube video of regular folks (i.e., non-artists) enjoying what they called a "Bob Ross Paint Night". I had heard of The Joy of Painting author and PBS television host before but had never given him much thought. But since I’ve recently started dabbling in watercolour painting for fun and relaxation, I thought I’d give his tutorials a try (even though he used oil paints as his medium of choice).

Since watching his tutorials, I’ve also come to recognize some of his much-loved catch phrases and would like to share with you some of my favourite Bob Ross quotes (and why I like them so much):

 "There are no mistakes, only happy accidents."

(I’m seriously considering making this my life’s motto).

 "Ever make mistakes in life? Let’s make them birds. Yeah, they’re birds now."

(If only this worked for all of life’s missteps!)

"It’s the imperfections that make something beautiful, that’s what makes it different and unique from everything else."

(If this is the case then I must be really beautiful!)

"We have no limits to our world. We’re only limited by our imagination."

(I truly believe this is something we know as children, but then forget as we become adults.)

 "We don’t laugh because we feel good; we feel good because we laugh."

(This is absolutely true. Just ask any research psychologist. Or laughter yoga instructor.)

 "The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it."

(Harry Potter believed this to be true as well. They can’t both be wrong.)

It’s not hard to see why Bob Ross is as popular as ever, even 26 years after his show went off the air (and 25 years since his passing). From his easy, breezy manner to his amazingly simple instructional techniques, watching a Bob Ross painting tutorial is one of the best anti-stress activities there is. Even if you don’t particularly enjoy painting, I encourage you to watch an episode just for the sheer joy of seeing him turn a blank canvas into a magnificent landscape in under 30 minutes. His voice is soothing and hypnotic, making the entire experience almost a meditative one.

And who knows — you might just get in touch with your long-lost inner artist.

Heather Innis is a community correspondent for Windsor Park. You can contact her at htiede@gmail.com