Little in childhood was more beautiful than opening up a brand new box of untouched crayons. Each perfect object radiating with the possibility of what it could create. Don't lie, you would run your fingers over them taking in their smoothness and perfection. You carefully chose which picture you wanted to be the inaugural image that would break in the new box. And as you eagerly reached for that first flawless color stick, you hesitated ever so slightly knowing that all beauty fades and the superbness of this moment will never return.
Oh, and whoever gave you this was an absolute god:
As you grew older, coloring faded from your life. The societal pressure to grow up and leave 'childish' pastimes behind became too strong to ignore. You moved beyond coloring, but deep inside the joy never faded. You would try to sneak coloring in whenever you could. Sometimes, it happened by picking restaurants that encourage adult coloring by having paper table cloths with a supply of crayons right there for you on the table. What can be better than sharing a delicious meal and drawing out an epic poem at your local Italian chain with your best friend?
Luckily for you, coloring has made a grand return! It is finally socially acceptable to not only color, but to publicly display your work and celebrate it!
Coloring is now looked at as a way of providing psychological freedom and relaxation. Don't believe me? Try it for 20 minutes after a really hard day. Before you know it, the rigor of the day is fading away, and all you care about it picking which shade of green best fits the scenery in your picture.
All you have to do to feed the urge is go to your local bookstore; there are a plethora of choices for coloring books. These range from everything from intricate patterns to cats to Harry Potter. Most bookstores also sell a range of colored pencils, because what is a color booking without a tool to color it? Sadly, the days of the 64 pack may be gone, but those bulky crayon tips (no matter how many times to whittle them down with the in-box sharpener) will never be right for the delicate designs that come from adult coloring.
There are two forms of adult coloring that I highly recommend. First is the swear word coloring book:
There is no more beautiful way to go tell someone to go f**k themselves than with cheerful butterflies and flowers.
Second, my personal favorite, the coloring postcard that can be mailed out to everyone you have a physical address for. I love this method because not only do I get to color away my worries, but I get to share my stress-art with friends and family! Honestly, your friends and family will adore getting these personalized messages in the mail. It's fun to receive surprise mail by someone who likes you!
Share the rainbow love, my friends!
