Colouring and Creativity For Any Age
The benefits and joys of colouring books
My classes may be for children, but creative expression is something that can be amazing for all of us to make time for! Of course, that last bit is probably the real issue: time.
So many of us have hectic schedules, that finding the time needed for an artistic practice simply isn’t feasible.
Then there’s the other barrier, art can be intimidating, especially for an adult who hasn’t picked up a pencil or brush in a long time.
These two things probably go a long way to explaining the popularity of adult colouring books in recent years.
With that in mind, I’m going to talk a little bit about why adult colouring books are such a helpful and relaxing hobby! On top of being a lot of fun and a great way to unwind no matter what age you are.
Adult Colouring Books: An Explainer
Adult Colouring books aren’t a carbon copy of children’s books —otherwise they wouldn’t be for adults!
What you will find with adult colouring books is a more diverse selection of themes and subjects, as well as intricate designs and a higher quality of paper and inking. All of which makes for a richly rewarding and entertaining experience.
Benefits Of Adult Colouring Books
We’ve already established that adult colouring books are a whole lot of fun. But beneath they can also have wide-ranging benefits, especially when it comes to emotional wellbeing, stress relief, and overall state of mind.
Benefits include:
Providing relief by allowing your brain to enter a meditative state
Lowering your stress and anxiety levels
Helping to dispel negative thoughts
Frees you to focus on the present, encouraging mindfulness and self-care
Helps you get away from technology and screens
It’s easy to see why this is the case. The physical act of colouring something in is a comfortable and repetitive motion that really does help put you in the present moment, and makes it easier to forget about anything else that might be weighing you down.
Beyond the benefits of colouring in itself, adult colouring books are also a tremendously practical option that can work for anyone.
Because of their portability, ease of use, and the fact that they can be done in short bursts, they’re great things to fit around your schedule. Whether that’s taking them with you for a trip to the park, or doing them during your lunch breaks.
They’re also not just for you to do alone! They can be a really fun activity to do with your children, who may even get more out of the designs and range of expression than they do with colouring books aimed exclusively at children.
So go get some colouring books and start to explore your creativity!