During a walk up and down the aisles of Michael's Arts & Crafts store, I mentioned to Monika that I have always found drawing and coloring to be very relaxing.
I didn't think much of the comment--it just slipped out during conversation. So, being the great listener (and girlfriend) that she is, and the fact that Christmas was just a few days away, she sneakily bought me a coloring book.
Coloring for adults is a hobby that reduces stress and allows the brain to enter into a meditative state. It cultivates mindfulness and helps to get rid of feelings of anxiety. I always feel more creative after coloring.
Studies show that adults who color have better reasoning skills, perform better under stress, become better problem solvers, and are generally happier.
This particular book is good because it teaches which colors work best together. I've never really studied this before, so the color wheel and explanation was useful.
Primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These colors are used to create all other colors. Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors. These colors are orange, green, and purple. Tertiary colors are created by mixing primary and secondary colors.
I made it my New Years Resolution to color. It's already almost February, so I'm happy to say that my New Years Resolution is still going strong!
I was working with colored pencils so I did not mix colors on my own. I was just playing around with the color wheel and using a combination of warm colors with soothing ones.
I just finished my first page.
The best thing about it is that even a very short session still provides benefits.
