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Learning from Happy Little Accidents · The Daily Writer

• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Rider, where we share a lesson each day to help you cultivate the habits for creative success.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you were 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.
• 0:27
  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.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Each week on his show, Bob painted a mesmerizing landscape in just a half an hour.
• 0:38
  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.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Now, most of Bob's viewers didn't know that he meticulously planned out his paintings in advance.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: He would create the original painting, memorize every brushstroke, then paint the scene a second time during the taping of the show.
• 1:03
  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.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Then he would either paint over the mistake or find a way to blend it into the scene.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a good lesson here not only for painters, but for every kind of artist.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: We like to beat ourselves up for mistakes.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: We're disappointed when we mess up or we don't perform perfectly.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: But remember, you're human.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: You're imperfect.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: You won't get it right every time.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, there are times when you're flat out got a bomb.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: And that book, that blog post, that article, that lesson or speech won't go as planned.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: And in those moments, the last thing you want to do is celebrate your mistakes.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: But what if instead of painting over those flaws and imperfections, you accepted them as part of the picture?
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: And what if you not only accepted them, but you celebrated them?
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now it doesn't mean that we compromise our standards.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: We can still reach for excellence while also accepting our humanity.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: Those happy little accidents, if we can learn from them, can be a pathway to a life that's more beautiful and scenic than all the perfect paintings in the world.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: For more, you can visit us at dailywriterlife.com.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks, and I'll see you tomorrow.