The Wisdom And Positivity Of Bob Ross

Given the current state of the world, it’s not a stretch to assume stress levels are pretty high for most of us. Stress is, of course, nothing new, but persistent and overwhelming amounts of it are problematic, to say the least. We all have to cope with our situations and manage our stress levels to the best of our ability, but it’s not always easy to find something that helps you wind down. Should you find yourself in that situation, look no further than The Joy of Painting, featuring Mr. Optimism himself, Bob Ross.

Bob Ross, the eccentric face of The Joy of Painting for over a decade, is best known for two things: his fantastic ability to teach painting to the masses, and his unwavering positivity. Throughout the thirty-one seasons the show aired, there was not a single episode where he did not offer words of encouragement that applied to both the painting and the world around it. While they can all be applied at virtually any time, current events have us experiencing situations that could benefit from an extra dose (or two) of optimism. His painting tutorials are relaxing, creative, and ASMR-esque–plus each one is only half-an-hour–so they’re the perfect way to unwind.

Bob Ross’ Optimism On Tap

For years, dedicated viewers were able to tune in to The Joy of Painting to learn how to paint picturesque landscapes while being treated to Bob Ross’ special blend of down-to-earth encouragement. I like to think that he subscribed to the ‘slow and steady wins the race’ mentality, as each painting he created was done in a thoughtful manner with no apparent rush. He was happy to add an extra tree or mountain just because he felt like it, and he visibly enjoyed each aspect of the process.

“Isn’t it fantastic that you can change your mind and create all these happy things?”

The Joy of Painting | HuffPost Article

Bob Ross spent twenty years in the United States Air Force, during which time he developed his signature quick-painting technique. He created landscape paintings during his breaks at work to sell and honed his skills over time. In addition, he was deeply influenced by the Alaskan wilderness that surrounded him, though his Floridian roots can be seen in a number of his paintings. Both he and his paintings exude calmness, and the simplistic setting of the show emphasized both aspects. Bob Ross’ secret to living a joyful life? Something along the lines of this:

“It’s so important to do something every day that will make you happy.”

The Joy of Painting | HuffPost Article

Happy Trees And Happy Clouds At All Times

It may seem like it comes naturally to him, but Bob Ross was open about the fact that happiness was a choice he made every day. After leaving the military, he never wanted to raise his voice again, and his smooth speech throughout the thirty-one seasons reflects this decision. He made a point while narrating his artistic process to include a multitude of happy remarks that would quickly become some of his best-known catchphrases. He seemed to enjoy each step for its own reason, and he casually mentioned to the audience over and over why these little things made him smile.

“It’s a fantastic day. It’s a good day to be alive. I kind of think every day is a good day to be alive.”

The Joy of Painting | HuffPost Article

He was vocal (though not forceful) about his reasoning for consciously maintaining such a happy disposition. In the world of his art, all of the creative decisions were his; he held the brush that shaped happy clouds and dazzling sunsets, and he greatly enjoyed bringing them to life on the canvas. He encouraged viewers to think similarly and use art as a positive outlet for their creativity and unique self-expression.

“‘Everything in your world seems to be happy.’ That’s for sure. That’s why I paint. It’s because I can create the kind of world I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff watch the news.

The Joy of Painting | HuffPost Article

As we can all attest to, there is plenty in our world that is not so happy, but when we create art alongside Bob Ross, the various forms of negativity fade away–we manifest our own happiness in the form of trees or flowers or mountains, and it’s ours to keep.

Bob Ross’ Tools To Keep Perspective

A native Floridian, Bob Ross spent a great deal of his adolescence taking care of local injured wildlife ranging from alligators to squirrels — some of which were even featured on his show. His later years spent in Alaska only strengthened his affinity for both flora and fauna and was noticeably reflected in his artwork. He had a talent (and preference) for realism as opposed to abstract painting, though each of his paintings seems to evolve purely by means of his own imagination and creative ability. What starts off as a relatively blank canvas with maybe a streak or two of color is swiftly transformed into a multi-dimensional, colorful, and stunning landscape.

“It’s hard to see things when you are too close. Take a step back and look.”

With Bob Ross’ soothing voice, methodical approach to brush cleaning, and overall peaceful aura appealing to you, I encourage you to delve into the world of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. It may be geared towards children, but the ambiance is much the same, and there is more than enough positivity to go around. The two hosts are frequently compared, so if you like one, there’s a good chance you’ll like the other. They both advocate for open-mindedness, kindness, and patience when it comes to interacting with the world, and their soft-spoken encouragement is steeped in authenticity.

“Look around. Look at what we have. Beauty is everywhere–you only have to look to see it.”

The Joy of Painting | HuffPost Article

Following The Guidance Of Bob Ross

If you’d like to follow a tutorial from The Joy of Painting but feel overwhelmed by the vast amount of content (there are 403 episodes spanning 31 seasons), The Joy of Parsing website offers a fantastic tool to point you in the right direction. It allows you to filter the entire series by paint colors used, keywords, and type of landscape, or by season and episode number. I went ahead and browsed through it and came to the conclusion that I just had to try my hand at one of them.

Season 4 Episode 9 (Cool Waters) caught my eye, so I decided to give that one a go. I recruited two friends, and we had a fun (if slightly frustrating) afternoon of it; below are our (somewhat successful) final products:

“Exercising the imagination, experimenting with talents, being creative; these things, to me, are truly windows to your soul.”

The Joy of Painting | HuffPost Article

Full disclosure, we did not precisely have the tools and/or paints that Bob Ross used — nor the talent. At some point, we each decided to veer off in our own directions with the instructions-turned-suggestions. There were more than a few cover-ups, touch-ups, and instances of flagrantly disregarding the color pallet, but that gave each of our paintings a personalized look. We laughed, despaired, and ultimately had a blast once we got over our fixation on making them turn out just right. That’s precisely what he teaches, after all.

“We don’t really know where this goes–and I’m not sure we really care.”

The Joy of Painting | HuffPost Article

We found ourselves frequently frustrated over discolored features, imprecise edges, and texturally-questionable paints, but at every turn, Bob Ross had kind words of encouragement to offer: The number of trees? Well, that’s your decision, and you should paint however many will make you happy. The position of mountain peaks? Those can vary too, and as long as you like what you’ve painted, that’s all that counts. He may teach a technical approach, but it’s interspersed with calming and reassuring affirmations.

“We don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents. Just don’t worry about it, learn how to use what happens–that’s the name of the game, enjoying.”

The Joy of Painting | HuffPost Article

At the end of the day, his videos are intended to teach viewers a fair bit more than just painting techniques. Bob Ross teaches us to confidently make decisions, trust the process, move forward from mistakes happy accidents, and enjoy the freedom of creativity. These may be easier said than done, but once you take the messages to heart, the positive effect is apparent.