How To Get Into Coloring For Stress Relief
Ways to Start Coloring (as an adult)
If you’re feeling a bit silly, confused, or even a little embarrassed to begin coloring as an adult, put those fears to the side.
Adult coloring is simple, it’s fun, and it’s beneficial to your mind and your health. Getting started is the hardest part.
Once you realize just how peaceful and calm coloring makes you feel, you’ll be recommending it to everyone you know as a way of relaxing and focusing on what’s good in life.
Here’s how you get started.
Buy a Few Supplies
You don’t need anything fancy to begin coloring.
You can get a piece of blank paper, a crayon or some colored pencils, and you can color.
You don’t need a picture because you can draw something and color it.
Even if it’s just your name in big bubble letters, you’re coloring.
You don’t need much of anything to color as an adult. You can buy what you want or feel you need. Know that there is no right or wrong way to color as an adult.
Order Some Adult Books
If you want to get a little more serious about your coloring, you can always order a few adult coloring books.
They are available all over the internet or even in local stores if you look hard enough for them.
There are dozens of places to look when you’re in the market for an adult coloring book.
Sit Down and Start
Keep in mind there is no one but you present while you color.
You needn’t show your artwork to anyone if you don’t feel comfortable doing so. All you need to do is sit down and color.
Don’t let yourself feel self-conscious or strange about it.
You’re the only one here, the only one looking at your work, and you are the only person judging yourself. Let that go and just color.
Don’t worry about being perfect. Just worry about doing what you want to do to make the kind of art you want to make.
Focus on Coloring When You’re Overwhelmed
Do you recognize your body’s signs and what it’s trying to tell you about things?
If you do, you probably recognize when you feel a bit overwhelmed or out of sorts.
You know when you’re stressed or overworked, and you know you can do things to counteract that.
Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is sit back and take a break from what’s bothering you with a coloring book.
Coloring is inexpensive, it’s easy, and it’s a great way to de-stress and unwind.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, this is a tool that can help you feel better about life by clearing your mind and allowing to you go feel more in control.
Try it and see how well it works for you.
What to Use for Adult Coloring
As a child, coloring was just a fun learning activity.
Adults have come to realize that coloring has many soothing benefits in a world full of stresses. Relaxing with a coloring book is simple.
Grab a child’s coloring book from the dollar store, open a fresh box of crayons and begin. If you want a more adult feeling when you color, here are some suggestions that may help:
Coloring Page Choices
You don’t have to settle for a juvenile coloring book.
Today there are fantastic adult coloring books with geometric patterns, beautiful pictures and intricate designs.
Choose a wonderful geometric design and color each repeating block a different color.
Decide to create repeating color schemes (squares are blue, circles are orange) or do a picture in all pastel colors.
The choice is completely up to you – whatever makes you happy. That is the wonderful thing about coloring.
What Will You Use?
Today, adults who enjoy coloring are not limited to a box of waxy crayons (they are great, though!) to color their landscapes and Greek goddesses.
Select a box of pre-sharpened colored pencils for a more mature coloring experience. There are plenty of other options, too.
Opt for pens in a kaleidoscope of colors; decide that chalk or oil pastels are what your artwork needs.
The only limit of your mediums is your mind. You can choose to mix-and-match your coloring choices for different textures and color depths.
Picture Pages
You are not limited to coloring books for your pleasure, either.
Try some posters that come with markers for your coloring fun. Superheroes, princesses, kittens – the list is almost endless.
Just pick a picture that makes you smile. You could pick up a tiny picture to color or a full poster-sized image. Print them off from your home printer.
It’s easy to find wonderful subject matter online.
Relax Like an Adult
The key to coloring fun is to have fun. Relax. Stretch out on your bean bag or a rug in front of the fireplace.
Pour a glass of wine.
Put on some music that makes you mellow (maybe some Kenny G?) and grab your crayons.
Block out the rest of the world, the ringing phone, the pressing matters at work. This is your time. Make light strokes or press down on the crayons for heavy, thick color.
Remember- this is your time. This is your art. This is your relaxation. Have it your way.
Where to Get Your Coloring Pages
If adult coloring seems somewhat juvenile to you, then you’re missing the value in this wonderful hobby and artistic endeavor.
It’s fun to do, allows you to be creative and to relax. Here are some ideas for getting coloring pages if you don’t want to use an adult coloring book.
Crayola Takes on Higher Learning
There is science behind coloring for adults, and even the famous Crayola brand is excited about the social trend.
Last summer, the crayon brand introduced special markers, colored pencils and their own label of Coloring Escapes for grown-ups.
Department stores like Kohl’s and Target both sell the coloring pages in sets.
For example, you receive a boxed kit that contains 25 sheets of detailed line art on heavy-weight paper stock with 40 fine line markers in a gorgeous vibrant palette.
The kit features an array of nature, patterns, mandalas and geometric designs to enhance.
Adult Coloring Is Really Brain Power
Crayola gets it and has understood the benefits of coloring for decades.
The research agrees.
News network CNN explored the new trend and reported that adult coloring provides excellent therapy that is as good as meditating and shutting the brain down.
It’s a calming exercise that can reduce anxiety, stress, create focus and allow for self-expression.
Coloring for adults is different from plain old doodling, and the science shows that doodling did not bring tranquility to a situation. Coloring in a book, however, does offer serenity and brain restoration and mental benefits.
Adult Coloring Pages Are Plentiful
Adult coloring has exploded onto the scene, and you can find these de-stressing pages mainly online for free to download.
There is an abundance to choose from.
Online art stores like Fabercastell.com offer a large selection for finding the ideal coloring pages.
For example, adults can focus on coloring fairies, intricate Mehndi patterns, peacock designs, fashion illustrations, flowers and nature.
The subject matter of coloring pages for adults is almost infinite.
Sexy, Naughty Coloring Is Mature
Social media sites like Pinterest.com offer another look at the adult trend and offer free coloring pages for a mature audience.
Yes, there are swear word coloring books that have become insanely popular.
Humor is always welcome, and these clever pages are filled with elegantly written profanity that is accompanied by some fabulous, detailed artwork.
Many find these bad word pages a joy to fill in, express what you might be thinking, relax and have a hearty laugh.
Folks who like these coloring pages often buy the coloring books to give in swag bags, as gift swaps, at birthdays and more.