An Ode to Stupid: It’s Like Getting Your Socks Wet Intentionally

For the sixteenth week of our calligraphy challenge we were given a quote in both Latin and English and asked to do something with it. In English it read, “It is sometimes pleasant to do something stupid.” Not an interesting thought for me, so I grimaced before setting pen to paper. The first thing I thought of when I saw the word stupid was Forest Gump, so I let that thought inspire the whole thing.

I have been doing calligraphy for over thirty years and have learned a lot. So much so that I thought about doing ‘something stupid’ for this one. I drew a square without measuring, wrote the text without laying it out first (forgot a letter), then dribbled glue on the page and sprinkled handmade paper triangles from a friend’s scrap pile. I colored in the empty spaces between the words with new markers without testing them, then I colored outside the lines and made random marks just for fun. I did all of this directly in my book so there was no way to correct any error or make changes. All of those things are things I would never do now because I know better, so it was stupid. The entire time I was working Forest Gump was in my head, so I had to include his famous quote.

I must admit, it was fun being stupid. I knew there were no consequences and anything that went wrong would only reinforce my expertise learned over the decades. My attitude was care free and I actually giggled when I practiced being stupid. It was like I was breaking all the rules and loving it, if only to prove a point. We sometimes study a topic or have a passion to only forget how far we have come. Working outside the lines of wisdom has the ability to lift our spirits and renew the joy in our souls. It felt like I was walking through rain puddles in tennis shoes and didn’t even care if my socks got wet.

Maybe you need a little stupid in your day? Maybe you need to forget your years of expertise and just play, have fun, break a few rules and let yourself go. Wear your pajamas all day, miss match your socks, color outside the lines or dare to mix ingredients to see what new meal you can create like with the basket ingredients on Chopped. Just be stupid and breath deep, your heart and soul probably need a break from all the rules.