Surely you've heard by now. Adult coloring books are the #1 and #2 on Amazon.com. More coloring books than cook books! What's up?
We all remember breaking out our crayons for those dull "time-fillers" in grade school. And you, like me, probably received endless coloring books for every occasion: tonsillectomy, Easter basket, road trips... I was never the biggest fan of coloring. Coloring book= BORING. Why would I spend my time--and precious sharp crayons--on some picture that another person had already drawn? Nonsense.
My mother, however, was all over it. She'd say, "Let's color!" I'd groan, drag out crayons in various states of decay (no crayon sharpeners back then) and we'd color. Rather, she would color--and she was amazing. You could watch her face soften as she focused, outlining with extra pressure, filling in the spaces lightly, always the same direction. I couldn't believe it. My mother was an artist! Me, I had other places to be. What a yawn.
Fast forward fifty years...guess what? Adults are coloring!! Gone are the cheap newsprint books, here are the intricate acid-resistant papers. Tiny spaces, ready to be filled. Crayons? Probably not. Gel pens or pencils are a better bet, for finer control. And be sure to set aside lots of time.
But, what a benefit! Those boring generic spaces of yesteryear are now upscale--and therapeutic. If you haven't been aware of this current trend, here are three reasons to jump in today:
- It's Proven! Carl Jung used coloring as a technique to induce relaxation. He did this through "mandalas": Circular designs with concentric shapes similar to the rose windows of Gothic churches. Origin: India.
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It Makes You Creative! When you're busy coloring, your brain is free to think of new and different things. Call it Freud, call it whatever, but ideas can percolate while you are making beautiful designs.
- It's Fun and Authentic! It's just you and the page. By now, you have nothing to prove, no one to impress. You can color as you wish. Purple chickens? Orange houses? Go for it! It's both powerful and rebellious at the same time. You get to be in charge. Tomorrow, you may change your mind. That's terrific, too.
I recently ordered adult coloring books for my 86 year-old mother and my 99 year-old mother-in-law. They each needed various amounts of coaching--but once they started coloring, I couldn't have stopped them for anything. In fact, all the adults around them started to color.
Maybe I'm the only one to be surprised at the power of coloring. But I've become a total convert. I'm on the waiting list for those Amazon best-sellers. Already have my coloring tools ready. What's not to love?
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