by G.Parker
I love to paint. Second to writing and reading, that is the way I would spend my days. Unfortunately, it is also something that gets pushed to the background due to family and laziness. As I was thinking about what to write today, I remembered a show we used to tape off the TV called The Joy of Painting.
It was hilarious - the whole idea that anyone could knock off a decent canvass in a half hour's time was crazy. But, he was good! The painter, Bob Ross, is dead, but his work lives on in those VHS tapes. He was famous for his phrases about ‘happy little trees’ and ‘happy mountains’. It always made me smile. But, as I’ve contemplated his philosophy, one of his common phrases is a good adage for writing as well. “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.”
If you’re working on a piece and a scene comes out that wasn’t what you intended, sometimes it’s better. We hope for inspiration and guidance, so you never know. What comes through those finger tips is sometimes what is really meant to be read.
In writing, many times we get caught up in what needs to go where. Is that scene working, am I getting the words in per day, is that character too bold? Sometimes we need to take a moment and just write something that doesn’t have anything to do with our current project. We need to remember the reason we are writing in the first place – because we love it and it brings us joy.
See how much joy you can find in your writing today. That’s my goal.
5 comments:
I totally remember that guy. He had a big 'fro. A man I know also had one of those shows, Buck
Paulson.
I didn't know you painted. That's way cool and something I could never do.
I love the "happy accident" idea.
I remember Bob Ross too! That was sweet, remembering.
I love that phrase too and repeat it to myself often (the happy accidents one).
Thanks for the goal for today ... think that ought to be my goal everyday!
I have painted Bob Ross style - I even have a book he wrote, and some of his products. I was always amazed at what I could produce! It took me a lot longer than 1/2 hour to paint a picture, but a lot less time than I thought it would take, and they all came out really nice.
I love the way you've applied his ideas to writing. The phrase I remember him saying most was "It's your own little world. You can do whatever you want in it." or something to that effect.
As I work on my novel, I'm going to think about how it's "my own little world" and how there are no mistakes, only "happy accidents."
Thanks for the blog. :D
My favorite moment -- he was painting a tree and he put some moss around the bottom because there was a happy little beaver coming along and he wanted that beaver to have a soft place to rest his bottom. I still laugh thinking about it.
That is a great thought. What better way to inspire yourself than to think that "there are no mistakes, only happy accidents?"
Great blog!
Nichole
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