Bob Ross Is My Spirit Animal...

When I was younger, I never would have claimed to be an optimist, but I guess that’s always been the case.  Looking back, I always had a soft spot for the outcast, the sad sack, and the underdog.

I’m sure that’s just hard wired into my DNA.  My grandparents never walked away from an opportunity to help.  My mother took in every stray animal – be it cat, dog, or teenage boy – that crossed her path.  My father, broken as he may have been, was a torch bearer for causes that mattered to him and was quick to take action when the alarm bells rang.  So, I guess that’s just who I am.  I’m happy to even have a glass, so when something’s in it, it must be half full.

My friends often joke that I’m “The Diplomat” because, when there’s tension, I’m pretty adept at pointing out the positive spin.  If the silver lining isn’t obvious, I try to direct the eye to the other places it can be.  That’s not such a bad trait.  I’ll take it.  I’m like the Bob Ross of real life scenarios! 

Anyone over twenty who’s ever spent any time watching public television is surely familiar with the man with the soothing voice and big, fluffy afro who just wanted to share his Joy of Painting with anyone who’d watch.  He was a master with his brushes and oils and could whip out a beautiful landscape in the half hour that he had to share with us.  More than that, he was a master with his words of encouragement and his uncanny ability to turn any misstep into an intentional part of the story he was painting.  As he said in nearly every episode, “We don’t make mistakes.  Just happy little accidents.”

I’m no artist.  The only painting I do is on the walls of my house.  But Bob’s approach to painting has been an excellent guide for my own approach to life.  He voiced one of my deepest held beliefs – one presented to me all my life by my mother and grandmother – in such a way that it really registered with my adult self: “The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. As long as you believe.”

When I catch myself doing things that maybe cause others to give me the side-eye, I’m reminded of Bob saying  “People look at me like I'm a little strange, when I go around talking to squirrels and rabbits and stuff. That's ok. Thaaaat's just ok.”  Once again, no one has ever accused me of being appropriate.  I will continue to talk to strangers, to squirrels, and I will continue to look beyond the dark and the thunderstorms for the rainbow that I believe will be there on the other side.  I think Bob Ross is my Spirit Animal.

Now, maybe more than ever, there are unintended splotches on the canvas.  I’m going to morph them into happy little clouds or strong green trees.  Every day, we have the opportunity to shake our brushes clean, let in some light, and get to painting! As the man said “We're gonna make some big decisions in our little world.”

Thanks, Bob.  For the art, of course, but mostly for the inspiration.