When famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo was 18 years old, she nearly died when a streetcar collided with the bus she was on. The crash killed several passengers and left Kahlo with serious injuries.
After a month-long hospitalization, Kahlo spent many more months in bed, healing and wearing a chest cast to heal the broken bones in her spine, shoulder, and collarbone.
Before the accident, Kahlo specialized in sketching, not painting — and her dream was to become a medical illustrator.
She took up painting while recovering, using a mirror to paint small doodles on her chest cast. Check out this photo of her painted cast from Museo Kahlo in Mexico City.