Intent: no happy accident

In a recent workshop I attended it was said that staying true to your intent in your art was important. I agree that intention plays a vital role in the creative process. I propose however that (like most things) it falls at times into a gray area. For instance, happy accidents, there are times when things just stray off course and something magic happens. It could be said that you no longer followed your intent as it was not your original path. I suggest that as artists this is when you discover new things.So maybe our intention should be to stray outside the lines so we create new opportunities.