Coloring for Fun and Healing
Coloring for Fun and Healing
What is fun and healing at the same time? Coloring!! Yes, coloring.
What do you color with?
You can use crayons but I rarely use those. I use artist grade markers. Believe me after you’ve been coloring for any length of time you can see a difference between sharpees and artist markers. My favorite brands right now are copic and prismacolor. I found them to be of high quality and also easily obtainable from either online discount art supply sites or local shops like Hobby Lobby and Michaels.
What do you color?
I use mostly adult coloring books. Adult, as in, not for children, not simple shapes, not adult as in x-rated content!
I’ve tried a few brands of adult coloring books and my favorite by far are the ones from Dover Publications. They are also readily available from Amazon as well. (links to some of those are provided below)
When do you color?
I mostly do my coloring when I am watching TV or netflix or videos on youtube but you could easily color and make that your only activity.
In what ways is it healing?
It is extremely relaxing to me even to the point of being therapeutic. It is an almost mindless activity so it frees up your mind from stressful thinking. It is so easy to do, no real skills are involved. You don’t have to make anything perfect or worry about how good something looks which is another plus towards the healing side.
Here are sample coloring pages that I’ve done from some of my favorite Dover coloring books.
From Magnificent Mosaics (Dover Design Coloring Books)
From Dover Publications-Decorative Tile Designs Coloring Book
From Paisley Designs Coloring Book (Dover Design Coloring Books)
From Creative Haven Floral Designs Coloring Book (Creative Haven Coloring Books)
Join the conversation. Share your ideas or questions in the comment form below.
(c) 2014 Cheryl Cope
Cheryl Cope on Google+
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I love this idea Cheryl! Your colorings are fabulous!
Thanks Kathy!
I love this! I may have to re-visit coloring. I always thought it was therapeutic. Now you have confirmed it for me.
April
Yes, it is definitely therapeutic!
This is fascinating! I’ve never heard of this before. What do you do with them after you color them? blessings, Amy
Mostly they just stay in the book, except of course when I post the pictures on social media or my blog! It is the process that is most important, not the finished product.
Your pictures are beautiful. I still color a lot (part of the job description as a child therapist).
Yes, but it’s unfortunate that most adults give it up and consider it to be beneath them as adults.
Cheryl,
I didn’t know adult coloring books existed. As a child, I always loved coloring. I might have to look into this.
I love to color but have not done it in a long while. It time to check out my art store and Amazon.
Let me know what you find there!
That does look like fun!
It is great fun!
Cheryl I too LOVE to color and have recently been talking about getting back to it. I think I’m going to buy a coloring book tomorrow. Thanks!
Yea, and I DID buy another coloring book that day at the store…:-)
My friend and I have been colouring for about 18 months. Have got 4 more people interested. Our ages range from 83 years to 50 something. Great fun and fellowship.
Never thought about doing that as part of a group. I will consider it!