Why Do You Color?

Yeah I did it. I caved. I got an adult coloring book.

I mean, it’s not like I didn’t want one. My roommate has 6 and counting, and loves to take it out whenever possible. It’s her go-to stress reliever….and I’m often jealous.

But then I’d remind myself that it costs money, that I’d have to buy colored pencils, that I won’t have time and it’ll be a waste of money. And then last weekend, those excuses disappeared as I stood in front of the table at Literati.

Then, all I could think was which one should I get? So I did it. I caved. I had some gift money left over from a return purchase, and I had an Amazon gift card. So I did it. I got an adult coloring book.

The whole idea of adult coloring books intrigues me a lot though. When I was little, I wasn’t a huge fan of coloring. I liked doing crafts more, something where I could be a little freer. And I think, truthfully, I didn’t have the patience for coloring. Even though you can’t really be bad at coloring (and anyone who says otherwise is lying), I wasn’t ever any good at art.

I don’t talk much about art, as in painting, drawing, sketching, molding – anything in that realm, because I’m not good at it. It’s hard to enjoy something when you’re so frustrated with yourself. I’m a dreamer. I imagine things. And when the imagination doesn’t match up with reality, I’m upset. Why am I not good enough?

That doesn’t stop me from roaming around museums and letting my mind wander. Trust me, I do love art. I had to pry myself away from the Louvre this summer, and I had really only seen barely half of it.

Even so, this side of me, the artistic one, doesn’t really come out very often. I do love art, and I certainly respect and appreciate it, but I don’t do it, so I don’t talk about it very much.

But then these coloring books. Studies show that coloring is a good stress reliever. You put any adult in a classroom full of kids, and put in one coloring station and you’ll see the results of that. When working in childcare I honestly loved to color with the kids. In large classrooms, it can be hard to interact with children playing blocks, making their own towers, or zooming around with a little firetruck clutched in their fists. They’re often in their own world, or in the worlds of their peers, and as an adult it can be challenging to enter that world, even as their teacher. But coloring is a way to connect. You can ask the kids what their favorite color is, how their week at school was, what they like to do for fun at home. All the while, you’re sitting (or squatting, if you aren’t four years old) at a desk, with a pretty picture to take home.

I find adult coloring books interesting because of these two things: the connection with art, and the connection with childhood. Maybe it’s a bit strange to have an adult color, or maybe it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe it’s good to have an artistic outlet, or maybe it’s nice just to relax.

Whatever the reason you color (if you do), keep coloring.