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Adult coloring is now trending. The latest coloring book craze is really not such a bad thing. For most adults coloring is a thing of the past unless you consider yourself an artist. For some coloring seems like something for children, but think again. For those whose colored pencils or crayons have been long gone, its time to get some once again and embrace your inner child.
After hearing the buzzwords of "adult coloring" recently, I decided to try it myself and look more into this trend gaining popularity. Although coloring is nothing new, and coloring books aren't either, a new market has begun targeting adults with adult coloring books. If you don't want to buy a book, just look up adult coloring and you can find a variety of outlines ready to be filled in with color and creativity.
An article from USA Today speaks about how this craze is good for us. This has mostly been gaining popularity among women, but I say that we should all be coloring again. Not only is this a great for creating a relaxed mind, but it evokes memories of our childhood and releases our inner emotions. This somewhat mindless act is an important refuge from our technology driven world. I, myself, colored a mandala that was passed out by a group table on my campus. I whipped out my coloring pencils, which I realized haven't been used since high-school, and turned on some music. I felt my mind relaxing and my body slowing down as somewhere between 30 minutes to an hour passed. Peace was forming from within and I was fostering joy. This creative outlet, like many others, allows for relaxing after a busy day full of everyday pressure. By coloring, or participating in other similar activities like crocheting or knitting, we allow our minds to ease into a meditative state, push negative thoughts away, and leave behind worries.
Grab a piece of paper and some form of color, whether that be colored pencils, paint, markers, water colors, or gel pens, and let the creative juices flow. This is not about being perfect. That isn't relaxing. Taking a few minutes a day to work on something is going to help you become more relaxed and happier. If you are going to ask for something this holiday season, try asking for a coloring book and some pencils. Put yourself and your mental health first and step away from technology. Less stress results in a lot of benefits such as better health and a better life, so why wouldn't you want that? Don't worry about this being a trendy craze that will pass. The popularity might wane, but that doesn't mean that your habit will. The best day to start is today! Do you accept my challenge? I know that my answer is yes!
