I can look back fondly on Kindergarten because most of what I did, what we did there, was arts and crafts. From a very early age, I fell in love with art. I loved drawing, coloring, sewing, glitter, stickers, weaving… I mean anything art I could get my hands on, made my soul sing. Although I went to school for Film and T.V., my core classes were drawing, 3D, color theory, etc. Using my hands to create art was always soothing, no matter what my age, even for a grade.
Adult Coloring Books have become all the rage recently. The act of coloring is calming because it takes focus. Focusing on something like art, takes your mind off of all the crap going on in your life. I have yet to get my hands on one of these books, but I’m definitely treating myself to one for the holidays. I love doodling and do mostly typography as art, but give me some colored pencils and a coloring book andI’ll be good as gold. My boss swears by art therapy as a way of achieving mental wellness. Just pour a glass of wine and get lost in the colors and designs. Sounds pretty good to me!
Why do I think it works? Like I said, it takes your focus and places it on something positive, but it’s also somewhat mindless. It clears your head. You put your focus on the beauty of color and designing something that speaks to you. I’ve said before that Love and Hate cannot live in the same house… art is love. I don’t know much art that is made from hate. Whether you’re coloring or photoshopping at home or out with your ladies at a Paint and Sip party, you’re focus is shifting toward love, therefore becoming a form of therapy. So basically, working out and coloring is the best antidepressant there is. You don’t need a shrink; you need some Crayola.
