How Adult Coloring Changed My Life

“Another coloring book?”

“How many pencils do you need?”

“There is glitter everywhere!”

If you’re reading this blog post right now, there’s a good chance you’ve heard these phrases and others. What started in our childhoods with boxes of bright crayons and books filled with images of our favorite characters has evolved into an artform – a hobby that is far more than just a hobby for many of us. In a world that is fraught with division, war, and hatred, the adult coloring community is a beacon. Like moths to flames, we are compelled to share our love of color with others, despite their nationality, color, gender, religion, or political viewpoints. Simply put, adult coloring has helped me become a better person. Here’s my story.

A Little Bit about Me

I’m one of those people who never keeps a hobby for long. I get excited when I start a new hobby, and I put my all into it for a few weeks, only to see my enthusiasm fade over time. I’ve learned to crochet. I’ve taken up nature walks. I even started playing video games in hopes of finding something that would allow me to unwind, relax, and enjoy what little downtime I had available between my job, my kids, and my household responsibilities. These things were helpful for a little while, but it wasn’t long before I sank back into boredom, feeling as if none of the hobbies I’d chosen truly “fit” my personality and needs.

I found myself getting involved in political and religious debates on Facebook just to pass the time, and just to have people to talk to during the day. Social anxiety makes it difficult for me to go out, to visit friends, and even to talk on the phone, in many cases, so using Facebook as an outlet seemed like a wonderful idea. Though I did my best to be as polite, respectful, and factual as possible, I was disgusted by the way people treated one another over nothing more than differences in opinion. I’d speak my opinion, only to be ridiculed and called names. A year ago, I found myself wondering what had happened to humanity. When did things change? Why did people hate each other so much? Something had to give. My anxiety hit an all-time high, and I sank into depression.

One of the Best Decisions I’ve Ever Made

About a year ago, I took a trip to Walmart to pick up some household necessities. By this time, I found myself wandering through life aimlessly, with no real direction and nothing I truly enjoyed. I picked out the items I needed and headed to the crafting aisles to pick up some notebook paper for my children, and something caught my eye. It was a coloring book with the title Timeless Creations: Mandalas.

The images in the book were intriguing, and I’d never seen anything quite like them. I stood there, in the middle of Walmart, and flipped through every single adult coloring book on the shelves. I hadn’t colored since I was nine or 10 years old, so I considered buying the book and giving it a try. Then I remembered that I didn’t tend to stick with hobbies long, and it would inevitably be a waste of money. I put the book back on the shelf and went home.

At the time, I also vaguely remembered walking through Hobby Lobby with my brother’s then fiancée several months back looking for wedding decorations. We walked around the entire store, and because my oldest daughter loves art, I decided to check out some of the art supplies. I clearly remember seeing a tin of 24 Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, and I almost had a heart attack when I checked the price tag. $39.99 for 24 colored pencils? They were out of their minds, I thought. Who pays that much for colored pencils?

Later That Evening

After getting home and working for several hours (I’m a content writer and I’m lucky enough to work from home), I set about my daily ritual of cooking, cleaning, helping with homework, and attempting to relax. On this particular night, I felt a little more energetic than usual, but my depression and anxiety were still in full swing. Once I finished my tasks for the day, I sat down in my bed and turned on my TV, but I couldn’t focus on anything – not even my favorite programs. That’s when I turned on YouTube.

I kept thinking about the adult coloring books I’d found in Walmart earlier that day, and I was curious to see if coloring was actually a “thing”. I typed “adult coloring books” into YouTube, and the results would soon change my life forever. The first video about adult coloring I ever watched on YouTube was created by Jennifer Jensen Stay, the creator of and artist behind Coloring Pages Bliss. I found numerous tutorials, and the mediums she used to color her pages had me in awe. The next video I watched was by Cher Kauffman, who is also a coloring book artist. Later, I found others, like Peta Hewitt, Pam Proctor, and Dede Willingham. After a few hours of watching these wonderful women create masterpieces from black-and-white line art, I knew what I had to do.

My First Coloring Supplies

I got back in the car and – you guessed it – drove right back to Walmart. I picked up the coloring book with mandalas, and I also got others called Timeless Creations: Fabulous Florals and Art for Adults. I then started looking at mediums, trying to choose one that I thought I would enjoy. My local Walmart has a relatively slim selection of coloring supplies, so my colored pencil options included the usual Rose Art and Cra-Z-Art along with Crayola, Staedtler, small tins of Prismacolor Premier, and a few off-brands. Markers were in shorter supply; available brands were Crayola, Sharpie, and Bic. Ultimately, I picked a box of 100 Crayola colored pencils and a pack of 50 Crayola SuperTips markers. I went to the checkout line, paid about $30 for my supplies, and went home.

Growing Enthusiasm

The first picture I ever colored, which is the one shown at the top of this post, felt like a huge accomplishment. It’s long since faded, as you can see, but my enthusiasm for coloring and art in general has not. I kept coloring, day after day, and I kept watching the phenomenal tutorials I came across on YouTube. It was about a month after I finished my very first picture that I thought back to that day at Hobby Lobby and the expensive colored pencils. It all made sense to me now. That weekend, I treated myself to a tin of 24 Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, and I spent every spare minute I had putting the creamy, rich colors onto paper. I was in love.

Over the next few months, I saved a little money here and there, and I eventually ordered a set of 150 Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. It may seem silly to most people, but fellow colorists will likely understand – opening that box was a life-changing moment. The beautiful selection of colors in front of me sparked creativity and passion I didn’t know I could muster. Since then, my collection has grown substantially. I own at least a dozen different sets of colored pencils, 50 or more coloring books, markers, gel pens, glitter glue, acrylic paint, soft pastels, oil pastels – the list goes on and on.

Fast Forward to Today

Though buying art supplies is always exciting, and though I truly enjoyed coloring, I still felt as if something was missing. It felt strange to me to work for days on a picture, and to color those pictures with a $120 set of pencils, only for them to stay in books, never to be viewed again. I joined the Coloring Pages Bliss Facebook group, and I think that’s when things really came together for me. It was more than just a place to show off your finished images; it was a community filled with people from all corners of the globe. It was people helping and encouraging other people. It was people asking questions, giving answers, and treating each other with respect – something I thought was impossible in the online world.

I joined other groups, too. Johanna Basford YOUR PAGES, Coloring Books for Adults, and others started to feel like home to me. Others mentioned how my work improved with every single image, and it wasn’t long before I found myself answering questions like “How did you get that effect?” or “What colors did you use?” That’s when the idea for Simple Art for Adults was born. My goal was to combine everything I’d learned from my fellow YouTubers and put it into a single friendly channel. I started my channel in May, and as of the time of writing (October), there are nearly 2000 subscribers.

Why I’ll Never Stop Coloring

One day a few months ago, and I can’t remember exactly when, I realized that my depression and anxiety had improved tremendously. I looked forward to waking up in the morning instead of dreading the thought of even opening my eyes. I would go to my desk, coffee in hand, and scroll through my coloring groups on Facebook to see what everyone had posted while I was asleep. Instead of watching the dreadful news or involving myself in angry, disrespectful debates, I turned on ColorTube (a term coined by the wonderful Ann Siggers at A Colorful Life – one of my favorites!) and watched tutorials or color-alongs. This became my routine, and it’s still my routine to this day.

There’s something about adult coloring that draws me in every single day and keeps my enthusiasm high. There’s always something new to learn and practice, and there’s always dozens of new images to see and compliment on Facebook, too. Gone, for me, are the days of being disgusted with humanity and spending my time watching people tear each other down from behind a screen. Now, I belong to a supportive, caring, and loving community that consists of men and women from every single corner of the Earth.

If you’ve read this far, I want to thank you for spending your time with me, and I want to leave you with one more thought: You are a reflection of your environment. If you spend your time around negativity, you will become a negative person. However, if you spend your time around positivity, you will become a positive person. Keep this in mind in all aspects of your life, and surround yourself with people and things that spark your inner creativity. Above all else, if you love to color, join any one of the dozens of Facebook groups and become a part of the community. The door is always open, and the kettle is always on.

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