Wind Waker: Tools of the maestro of tranquility from Wind Waker.

Tools of the maestro of tranquility from Wind Waker.

Picto Box: Found hidden in the jail cell that holds Tingle, the original Picto Box allows Link to take and store up to three black and white pictures. In the HD rerelease of Wind Waker, the Picto Box’s storage is increased to twelve photos and Link can now take selfies. These photos can be shown to people around the Great Sea, and they used to be able to bottled up in Tingle’s Bottle and sent to random players on the Miiverse prior to its collapse.

With a fan brush in hand, Bob Ross could summon up bushes, grasses, and endless forests of happy little trees. Those happy little trees, living among Ross’ pastoral landscapes, were some of the first things that inspired me to make art. Years later, I still can’t paint, but I do try to believe only in happy accidents instead of mistakes.

Deluxe Picto Box: The Deluxe Picto Box is an upgraded version of the Picto Box that can now take photographs in full color. Link must help Lenzo, the foremost expert on pictography in the Great Sea, complete his research into color pictographs to earn the Deluxe Picto Box. In the original release of the game, a firefly from Forest Haven was required as part of the quest leading up to the Deluxe Picto Box, but that requirement was removed in Wind Waker HD. I feel the inclusion of the firefly keeps the Picto Box silly and fantastical in a similar manner to Discworld's Impo powered Iconograph.

Watching the Joy of Painting as a kid, I remember being thinking that the names of Ross' paints sounded magical. Phthalo Blue and Alizarin Crimson sounded like substances conjured up from other worlds. In my adulthood, I intellectually know that the names are just specifying hues made in specific places or ways, but I still feel some of that magic when I hear Bob say which paint he’s loading up on his brush.

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This was a bit of a diversion from my usual mini fictions inspired by the item cards I drew, but this is where inspiration led me. I love The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross and I recommend everyone sit down and watch him work through at least a few paintings. I believe it is well worth your time.

Bob was also one of the first people that I can remember who actively practiced radical acceptance. The only other person that really jumps to mind in that category is Mr. Rogers. While I am nothing like Bob Ross or Mr. Rogers, I try to carry their lessons of acceptance and positivity into the world. That might give you a clue why I always end these posts the same way.

Be excellent to everyone.

-Ceph