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Happy Little Accidents · The Daily Writer

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Rider, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: These lessons are inspired by great artists, authors, and thinkers, both past and present.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: For more, you can visit us at dailywriterlife.com.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: If you're of a certain age, you probably remember watching Bob Ross on his TV show The Joy of Painting, which he hosted on PBS from 1983 to 1994.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a little bit younger, you've probably discovered him on the internet, where he's developed an even bigger following.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Each week on his show, Bob painted a mesmerizing landscape in just a half an hour.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: He was known for his soft spoken style, his signature permed hair, and his uncanny ability to make you believe that just like him, you could paint a masterpiece.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: Most of Bob's viewers didn't know that he meticulously planned out his paintings in advance.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: He would create the original, memorize every brush stroke, then paint the scene a second time during the taping of the show.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: Every once in a while Bob would make a tiny mistake and then repeat his signature phrase we don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Then he would either paint over the mistake or find a way to blend it into the scene.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: There's a good lesson here not only for painters but for every kind of artist.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: We like to beat ourselves up for our mistakes.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: We're disappointed when we mess up or we don't perform perfectly.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: But remember, you're human.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: You're imperfect.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: You won't get it right every time.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, there are times when you will flat out bomb.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: That book, that blog post, that article, that lesson or speech won't go as planned, and in those moments, the last thing you want to do is celebrate your mistakes.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: But what if, instead of painting over those flaws and imperfections, you accepted them as part of the picture, and not only accepted them, but celebrated them.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean we compromise our standards.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: We can still reach for excellence by also accepting our humanity.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: But those happy little accidents, if we learn from them, can be the pathway to a life that's more beautiful and scenic than all the perfect paintings in the world.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to the Daily Rider Podcast.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: We really appreciate your support and hope you enjoyed this episode.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: You can find more at Daily RiderLife.com.