Children
When I was a little girl, I loved to color almost as much as I loved to read. I could always count on one gift that I would receive for each birthday and each Christmas - the largest box of crayons on the market at the time and the fattest coloring book my mother could find. As an only child, I could amuse myself for hours with my books - those for coloring and those for reading. I liked paper dolls, too; but that’s another story.
When our children were very young, I spent time with them coloring the opposite page of the one each had chosen to color in his/her coloring book. It was quality time for me; hopefully, for them, too. And when the grands were young, I was delighted when one invited me to color with him/her. In fact, one of those old coloring books still resides in the grandchildren’s drawer, long abandoned. Although four of our grandchildren are teenagers and three, young adults, I couldn’t bring myself to discard it yet. Therefore whenever I’m invited to gift a young child, I select the largest box of crayons (120 these days) and the fattest coloring book that I can find.
Teens
I cannot reflect about coloring without recalling the 1994 Jacket, “Outside the Lines.” After the staff decided on this theme which multiplied itself in countless ways on campus, they decided to use crayons as the theme’s graphic. I ordered cases of eight-crayon boxes from Crayola; and each yearbook purchaser received a box of crayons with his book. The high school's present student council adviser, as a yearbook staff member, drew a complicated design for the cover of the yearbook’s min-mag, "The End of the Line.” While most students reflected on memories from their childhood as they colored the photo, signed autographs and kept their bonus boxes intact, the occasional forgotten or discarded crayon unfortunately left its mark in the old outdoor student center. The everlasting splashes of color were one more reminder of the theme’s statement: high school is the time for teens to determine when they should stay within the lines and obey all rules and when they could color outside the lines creatively.
Adults
While I had seen articles about adult coloring, I had ignored this new fad until I visited a friend who has become a true aficionado of the art. As I looked at her collection of books filled with intricate designs and her long, finely sharpened coloring pencils, she said, “I color at night when we watch television. For me, its like our aunts who knitted or crocheted in the evenings to keep their hands busy.”
Right then, right there, I knew adult coloring was not for me. Since I automatically back away from needlework of any kind, I knew I didn’t need anything akin to sewing. However, I’ve begun to notice the new coloring books on display at checkout counters. For now, I’ll stick to working crosswords for relaxation.
As I studied this coloring phenomenon more, researchers and art therapists praise the calming benefits of adult coloring. Although some had taken up this hobby during the past decade, its popularity began to rise last year when Crayola launched its own set of markers and collection of adult coloring books.
Because it helps a person focus on the act of coloring sophisticated pictures for long periods of time instead of dwelling on one’s problems, psychologists are now introducing the hobby as a destressing activity. According to the experts, coloring brings a participant back to a simpler time. Tapping into the emotions of doing something for the pure joy of it is cathartic. Also because of the focusing aspect of coloring, it enhances concentration which assists with problem solving and organizational skills.
While some psychologists recommend coloring instead of meditation to destress, coloring also practices mindfulness, that state of being in the moment.
After I read these articles, I searched out the benefits of children coloring. Believe it or not, expects see concrete advantages for children to color pictures. According to Color Psychology, the activity itself helps a child develop both cognitively and creatively. It improves motor skills from gripping the crayon to coloring within the lines. And whether they stay within the lines or not, it stimulates creativity by stoking the imagination. It contributes to better handwriting, leads to self expression and prepares the child for the structure of school. And not surprisingly these days, it also can offer our young relief from the stress modern times seem to place on everyone regardless of age. Who knew. I just thought it was a fun activity when I was growing up.
While I am impressed by both the challenge of adult coloring projects and the folks who choose this hobby, I know I will never take it up. But one of these days, I may just pull out the grandchildren’s old coloring book and the box of broken crayons and see what I can learn anew.
2016
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