Take a Little piece of Happiness Home With You!

Our story - Find out How “Happy Accidents” Are Made!

The Accident:

My life changed suddenly when I had a canoeing accident in August 2019. My father and brother were riding in a canoe together, when it became lodged between several rocks and rushing water was mercilessly applying pressure to the boat. Stuck at the top of a waterfall - my brother, Danny, was in the front of the canoe suspended in the air, unable to move without capsizing. My dad, who walks with a significant limp, was making his best effort to push their canoe out. The Spring River was as fast & high as I had ever seen it - being that I had been canoeing & swimming that river for the past 30 years of my life, ever since I could do a decent doggy paddle. The rushing water looked as if it was going to cause my dad to fall off the waterfall & be severely injured or worse. Being a nurse, my training was to immediately respond in an emergent situation. Without a second thought, I stopped our raft, which also had my husband and sister in it - then I proceeded to use an oar as a walking stick to help me keep my footing, since the water's rushing current was surprisingly swifter and stronger than I had anticipated, and I was battling the challenge of balancing while walking across the slippery, mossy rocks of the riverbed. While using the oar for increased stability, I was able to make it across the top of the waterfall to reach my dad.

I helped him to sit down in a safe place, so we could push his canoe out, and then watched him swim out to a spot where my brother could safely retrieve him in the canoe. On my way back to my raft, I started to hand the oar back to my sister so that I could get back in the raft...but I lost my footing, and was quickly knocked off balance by the powerful, rushing river. I remember as I was falling down on the top of the waterfall, thinking: "I cannot believe this is happening. Lord, please help me. I hope to see my husband, daughters, and family again." I remember trying to brace myself for the fall and trying to balance that with the idea of trying not to drown.

Then suddenly - NOTHING. Just blank. Quiet. Darkness.

Those who were on the river trip with me had to fill me in on the rest of what happened, as I cannot remember. They tell me that I fell and hit my frontal temporal portion of my head on a very large rock on top of the waterfall, after which, I was knocked unconscious; and my family watched my body go limp and then be rolled like a log, as I tumbled down the waterfall. On the way down, I hit my head on multiple rocks and was under the water and still unconscious for a brief time. Luckily, the coldness of the water must have helped revive me, and I came up out of the water, by God's grace. Somehow, I did not drown that day.

Later in the trip, an oar slipped and popped back while the driver was pushing off a rock, causing the handle of the oar to hit me directly in the lower back of my head, causing me to briefly completely lose my vision. Later, the doctors diagnosed me with multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries, resulting in permanent nerve damage, chronic migraines, and long lasting effects to my abilities, functioning, speech, vision, etc. I lost my career, my mind (briefly), memory, speech, and have vision issues.

“River of Life”

This piece signifies that we can experience growth, new joy, & new hope and make use of the things that happen to us on our journey of the river of life. We can use these things as fuel to help ourselves grow towards the light, just as the flowers do. - Rachel

The Happy!!

Many times in my life, I had turned to art as a mode of expression and for the pure love of creating. But this time was different - I found myself unable to communicate adequately through speech, and I turned to art as a therapy, self expression, and as a way to feel useful & purposeful again and to pursue my passion...which led to much joy & happiness in my life again. It felt like the warmth of the sunshine on my face, after a long, cold wintery season of life. With God's help & the unconditional love and support of my husband, family & friends, I changed my perspective from feeling like I had this tragic loss - from the depths of sadness and mourning over the loss of my career, previous abilities to work, provide, express myself in words, and remember things....and transformed my mindset into one of hope & light. I increasingly continued with expressing myself in art and song; and eventually my speech returned mostly back to normal. I do still have some changes and deficits that are chronic, and likely permanent - but they are leading me towards a path of personal growth, strength, appreciation for the abilities that I do have, and developing resilience.

How Happy Accidents are Made!!

“Happy Accidents Artwork” is a tribute to the late & great Bob Ross, from whom I learned so much about art, nature, having a positive outlook on life by watching his shows and listening to him soothingly talk about happy little trees, everyone needing a little friend, and many other positive "don't sweat the small stuff" Bob Ross-isms. I chose the name "Happy Accidents" for my small art business, in honor of his frequent saying, "There are no mistakes - just happy accidents." He always said that this is how we can view life or art and "make use of whatever happens." After my accident & sudden change of pace - this is how I want to look at my life too - through the optimistic, rose tinted lens of the happenings in my life being a "happy accident," and something that I can "make use of" and assign meaning to these events, experience change, growth, renewal, and the blessing of positive outcomes through difficult circumstances.

It is only through God's goodness & strength that I am blessed to be able to continue forward; propelled by faith, hope, love, resilience, and the thought that a broken dream/accident/unexpected change does not have to mean a broken life, broken hope, or that I must now live without purpose. But instead, I have been amazingly repurposed from my old life and old self into a, in many ways, new person - a wonderfully made new creation.

I choose to see the good that has come from my accident on the river, and I choose to thank God for bringing me so much healing, peace, provision, and for repurposing me from being a Registered Nurse into being a stay at home wife, mother to 2 daughters, dog mommy to 4 dogs, gardener, artist, and a creative. God has given me the ability to know Him, to seek Him and find Him, and to just "slow down and rest in His peace and His presence," as one of my favorite authors, Sarah Young, likes to say in her amazing book: "Jesus Calling."

I try to remember to pray over every piece of art that I do, that the Lord will use it to bless the person receiving it, and to give them a feeling of hope, peace, healing, and resilience. It is my mission, through my work or interactions/connections with others, to bring more sunshine, new hope, the beauty of new joys, and the ability to repurpose our brokenness into a beautiful mess - a gorgeous & glorious disaster - that is none other than the happiest of accidents. I want to continue to share my experiences, of how God has brought me through being stripped down to my bare foundation, suddenly and unexpectedly - through an accident, with no control of my own over the unexpected events that led to my brain traumas - bringing me through the dark waters of the unknown, mourning, grief, and depression, brokenness; and how He lovingly stayed by my side the whole time, provided for me and my family, brought healing, personal growth, and brought me into the Light and gave me the ability to have hope again. God has restored my life, and given me NEW PURPOSE and NEW JOY.

The circumstances in our lives that feel the most difficult, and at times the most lonely and dark, have the ability to produce great growth and new life in us. Just like the lotus flower, we too have the ability to not only rise from the mud, but to use the murky waters of life for our growth and to transform it into fuel on our journey upwards, as we continually push and grow towards the light, joy, peace, and love that comes from blooming radiantly & confidently in the presence of adversity. Look for hope. Look for the silver lining. Don't give up. I hope my story of "Happy Accidents" can encourage others to know that despite what may happen to us - what may seem like a roadblock or set back - God is still good and we can find joy and be useful in the place and stage of life we are currently in, every step of the way.

Stop waiting for everything to be perfect to be happy, and start now! Please carry with you, the famous words of the late & the great - Bob Ross: "There are no mistakes - just happy accidents" and "make use of whatever happens."

Thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this letter about my life experiences and about my small art business.

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Reviews & Special Comments from our Happy Customers!

“Rachel did such an amazing job with bringing my thought to art! She took flowers from her own garden, dried and pressed them, she took honeycomb from one of our bee hives and bees from our hives that had died and created this beautiful multimedia piece.” - Stephanie S., Comissions Customer

“Rachel made the most beautiful pieces for me after my husband’s funeral. She even made a special piece for my baby’s room. I highly recommend her!” - Meredith T., Memorial Floral Preservation Client

“The two pieces of art I received are beyond beautiful. I have them displayed in my office and in a hectic work place, her art brings me joy!”

- Alicia N., Ready Made Gifts Customer

“Rachel made the most beautiful ornament for me for Christmas. It was beautiful and matched the picture perfectly! Great work, fast shipping, and excellent customer service!” - Tabitha B., Custom Order Customer