Bob Ross Versus The Obsessed Artist: The Beauty of Imperfect Interests

Daniella Devaney, Writer • February 10, 2025

“Talent is a pursued interest. In other words, anything you’re willing to practice, you can do.” – Bob Ross

Whilst Bob Ross is well regarded for his artistic talents, I would like to make the case that his philosophy and morals should equally be weighted in high regard.

Even now, as my eyes wander across my room, facets of every ‘talent’ I have dabbled in glare back at me, with the same countenance they gave me upon picking them up. Scrambled calligraphy sets, collections of shells, and papers for inspiration to ‘save for later’. Nevertheless, I am not alone in this; others cite a lack of clear progress as a rationale for their dispassion toward the many talents that permeate their aspirations. It is this creative paralysis, what I am coining, the 21st-century-phobia-of-failure, that I would like to investigate.

Ross’s quote rings in my ear every time I am reminded of pure passion that has been overwritten by the need to be perfect. Ross’s words hold weight for their significance in the 21st century where rapid perfection and subsequent burnout are emphasised more than incremental progress, a physical manifestation of our stunted attention span. We have seen this taken to the extreme in the infamous character archetype of the ‘obsessed artist’, an individual who has an obsessive need for perfection in their art or skill at the expense of their physical and emotional well-being.

Exhibit A; Nina Sayers in ‘Black Swan’ (2010). At the heart of the story, we are presented with a competitive ballet dancer who dreams of playing the Swan Queen (Odette) in ‘Swan Lake’. Laced in a blush-tinted porcelain disguise, Sayers possesses an excessive need for perfection. Interestingly, it is clear that Nina Sayers does not develop this mindset on her own. Her mother, a former dancer, encourages this perfectionist and high-wire walker mindset of her daughter; “Just okay?” (Heinz, McLaughlin & Heyman, 2010, p. 13). A psychological interpretation would inject the idea that operant conditioning, a form of nurture theory, is propellant in leading to Sayer’s perfectionist mindset. We are left with this quintessential perfectionist mantra, you may have heard; “I just want to be perfect”. Observe how the adjective ‘perfect’, unequivocally encapsulates the movement behind the obsessed artist.

On the contrary, Ross felt that magnetic pull to his ‘interest’ of painting, rather than an addiction to perfection. Hailing from Florida in the United States, Ross began painting at twenty years old whilst he was serving in the Air Force. He found a likening to painting after attending an art class at the Anchorage U.S.O Club.

“Painting should make you happy. If it doesn’t make you happy, then you should go do something else.” – Bob Ross

A notable talent of Ross was his ability to see art and the human condition as interlinked; “it’s hard to see things where you are too close”. He offers us the philosophical idea, widely aligned with the stoicism practices, that enlarging obstacles or setbacks present in your life does not offer you the full picture. Similar to focusing on the details and authenticity of a painting, viewing mistakes or regrets in your life up close does not offer the complete cosmic perspective. From an evolutionary perspective, humanity’s survival has relied on the ability to approach fear-relevant threats with caution. This explains why we find it so easy to view perceived threats in our life with more urgency and priority, rather than the ubiquitous goodness in our livelihood.

At this juncture, we can see how our ingrained hypercritical human nature works against our ambition for hobbies. In the case of Nina Sayers in Black Swan (2010), her relentless pursuit of perfection ultimately sabotaged her from achieving it. What’s that clever little saying? You cannot fight fire with fire.

Indeed, in Greek terms, the word “passion” holds two contrasting meanings, Θερμότης (Thermótēs) meaning heat or fervor (symbolising the fiery case of passion), and Ζῆλος (Zēlos) that refers to a more disciplined form of passion (the root of the English word zeal implies dedication with intensity).

This leaves us with the duality of approaching our ‘interests’; Art as a Therapy versus Art as an Obsession. Ross’s art is healing, whereas Sayer’s is self-destructive. Ross placed emphasis on using art as a form of relaxation and self-expression. On the contrary, Sayers rarely discusses her joy for ballet. In fact, as a fan of the 2010 film myself, I cannot recall a time when Sayers mentioned her love for purely the art form of ballet. Instead, she relies on external validation and materialistic accomplishments; “He picked me Mommy…I’m going to be the Swan Queen.” (Heinz, McLaughlin & Heyman, 2010, p. 21). It is important to remain sensitive in this comparison as a feminist interpretation may posit the idea that women must rely on this objective hard work and dedication in order to be recognised and even valued by our society, qualities that, in many societal structures, are often taken for granted in men but require explicit demonstration from women.“Nina’s existential crisis—a struggle for agency and selfrecognition within a society that dictates her identity based on predefined gender roles.” (Sengupta, S. & Chowdhury, D.A., 2024. Distorted Reflections: Gender and Horror in ‘Black Swan’. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 9(2), pp.085–088.). Indeed, Manne supports this line of argument; “Entitled is a brilliant analysis of the systematic advantages and prerogatives awarded to men for nothing more than being men.” (Haslanger, as cited in Manne, 2020).

Building upon this perspective, we must also examine how obsessive artistic engagement may stem from shortened attention span characteristics of the 21st century. In light of recent studies, a correlation between stunted attention span and reduced concentration skills has been linked to fast-paced content on social media, namely TikTok (Alghamdi, R. And Aljabr, N. (2024) “The Impact Of Tiktok On Employees’ Attention Span”, International Journal Of Professional Business Review. São Paulo (SP), 9(11)). A prerequisite to dedication and commitment of a skill is not obsessiveness, rather, it is unwavering devotion. Social media perpetuates the flawed thinking that you must attain a certain level of mastery before you are deemed worthy of an audience or colosseum reaction. Arbitrary likes and comment reactions only exacerbate this problem. This nation aligns with the message at the heart of movies like Black Swan (2010) and Whiplash (2014), in which the characters rely on materialistic and external validation, as opposed to genuine intrinsic artistic dedication.

As Bob Ross asserts in his philosophy, ‘interests’ are indeed a lifelong and enduring pursuit, rather than mere idle amusements for approval. One may find this revelation draining, though I believe it is rather empowering and liberating. For your interests and hobbies were intended to be something that brings you relief, a prospect that keeps you grounded in yourself amongst our chaotic world. This is why imperfect interests are perfect. Humans are inherently and beautifully flawed, and our self-expression is a reflection of our soul, so why must our passions strive for perfection?

When I think about my screenwriting, the first word that comes to mind is joy, not imperfection. Never will I be suffocated by my interests, and neither should you. I write in the hope that this message ignites in you the motivation to return back to your desks, drawings, books, scribbles, sculptures, theories, research, poems, and dust-collecting ambitions.

You search for perfection in your ambitions. I, for one, prefer your flaws.

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