It was a crisp September morning in the Boundary Waters, and I had my easel set up right by the water’s edge. The light was perfect — that golden, honeyed glow that only happens in the North Woods when the sun is just right. I was going to paint the lake, the pines, the way the water danced in the wind.
But then… the wind. Oh, the wind! It came out of nowhere, like a mischievous child, and blew my paint right off the canvas. And there it was: a big, wobbly blob of blue and green that looked exactly like a loon diving for a fish.
I could have cried. I could have thrown my brushes in the lake. But instead, I laughed. And then I started to paint that instead.
"Sometimes the best art isn’t what you planned. It’s what the wind gives you."
[Imagine a wobbly, joyful loon here — painted with a mix of blue, green, and a little bit of gold. It’s not perfect, but it’s full of life.]
That loon became my favorite painting. It’s hanging in my kitchen now, right above the sink. And every time I wash a dish, I remember that day by the lake. I remember that sometimes the best things in life are the ones you didn’t plan.
So if you’re having a bad day, or if your paint is going all wrong, or if your soup is a little too salty… take a deep breath. Laugh a little. And then see what you can make of it. Because every mistake is just a brushstroke waiting to become a masterpiece.