As a long time fan of Bob Ross, I think there are many things his videos can teach us about how create, how we share our interests and how we live our lives. This particular video showcases many of Bob’s philosophies and truly demonstrates why he is still such a cultural icon. I found that from the very beginning of the video Bob brings up a common practice among artists, which is releasing stress through creation. Most artists toil over figuring out their style but to me it seems Bob’s style is simply therapeutic, he paints what he feels and that is why his paintings are so easily translated to others. I think that’s also why he tells us all not to copy but to go in our own direction, because our emotions are ours alone, and they dictate what we create. At the same time Bob preaches experimentation and going outside your comfort zone, without being concerned about the outcome. I really resonate with his “… happy accidents…” saying, it has gotten me through some pretty hard times caused by my own bad decisions. With time I have come to appreciate the choices I made when I was younger, regardless of the immediate outcome, because it has gotten me to this point in time right now, and I think the most important thing we can take away from all of this is that in the portrait that is our own lives we shouldn’t struggle against our mistakes we should accept them and move forward, because the painting isn’t complete yet.
