I love coloring.
As a professional artist, I recommend kids use coloring pages as often as they want and at any age.
The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio recently published an article on the value of coloring for reducing stress and relaxing by “taking us outside ourselves.” For kids there are the extra benefits of increasing hand-eye coordination, connecting our “creative” brain to our “literal” brain, and learning about shapes of things that may be beyond their world right now. Plus, it is a time away from any electronic interaction. A breather. And it can be done anywhere.
“Will you color with me?” is about the smallest hurdle to overcome when asking someone to participate in art. Why?
People are not intimidated if you ask them to color with you.
Each person having their own coloring page allows everyone to be successful and surprisingly creative.
Coloring is an ideal intergenerational project. It stimulates different comments from an eight-year-old than from an 80-year-old.
Coloring with someone is an activity that can be done in person, or with Zoom-type set-ups online.
And, because you are coloring together, you don’t have to be talking. There is no awkward silence.
I could not find coloring pages that were simple, clear, and told a story. So I created my own. I realized that we don’t need “adult coloring pages” and “kids coloring pages.” With meaningful, well thought out images that suggests a story, we can all color together.
And, even if we don’t speak the same language, or your brain doesn’t work like my brain, we can color together. So…. let’s get coloring!
ps - A box of eight Crayola Crayons costs less than a dollar. That is really all you need. Please don’t get cheaper, lower quality crayons. They are SO disappointing. I’m not getting any endorsement or anything from this. I just want you and your coloring buddies to be successful.
