"accidental" artists

not surprisingly, i am fascinated by a string of french artists including, but not limited to van gogh, cezanne, matisse (in order of how they influenced one another).  i love that henri matisse (1869-1954) was an "accidental" artist, picking up art supplies as a young man only because he was recovering from appendicitis.  this unexpected love for painting led him to give up the study of law and sent him literally into a wild exploration of travel and color (see also Fauves).  what inspires me most about him, however, didn't happen until he was in his eighties when another health problem left him wheelchair-bound.  he could have given up; said he was too old...but it was then that his surge of creativity really began with paper cutouts and his final masterpiece:  the stained glass windows of the rosary chapel in venice.  modern graphic design and everything from posters to textiles have been influenced by his shapes, patterns and lines.  not that anyone would wish for an accident illness or otherwise unfavorable turn of events, but it strikes me how many great writers and artists discovered the depths of their creativity in this way.  (famed author madeleine l'engle was an awkward, lonely only child who turned to writing to keep her company...or consider mexican artist frida kahlo who contracted polio and later picked up a sketchbook while recovering from injuries because a bus she was riding in collided with a trolley...)  i love the spirit in them that didn't give up but rather transformed these life events into visible pieces to share with the world.  no one is too old, too injured...too "anything" not to be creative with what they've been given.  do you know any "accidental" artists?  what's their story?