I was told it seemed like I was going through second childhood. People have this confused-slash-weirded out look when they find out what I have been doing on whatever spare time that I have. Who knew that an activity of my childhood would resurface when I saw my niece, Ali and my cousin, Chantal doing it one day. I am talking about coloring books. Ali and Chantal were doing coloring books - Ali's. She had this giant coloring book of Hello Kitty and she so eagerly allowed Chantal and I to get a page each and start coloring. It was actually an enjoyable experience, a very relaxing one. Both Chantal and I really had fun. It seemed Ali did too when she so eloquently said in her 4 year old body, "I'm glad I have company!" That blew me away.
We finished coloring our page that night and Ali let us bring our finished work home. But that didn't seem to sate the renewed feeling about it. The first opportunity I had to go get it, I did so. I got Chantal and I the same Hello Kitty coloring books and I have been coloring since. I didn't realize how much I would enjoy coloring books, Hello Kitty at that. I grew up around Hello Kitty, even now I still own and use a few Sanrio stuff here and there but really a coloring book. It may seem like a bit of a stretch but what Chantal and I like about it is its size. Its really big, almost like poster size. The pictures are pretty simple and uncomplicated. The outlines are thick so there's no "coloring beyond the lines" stuff. Oh okay, Hello Kitty is cute.
I don't do coloring book everyday. In fact ever since getting it, I have only done it once. I do it when I feel I need to settle, to relax, to slow down especially on a day when I feel like my whole day passed me by. Last Friday was like that. I had a lot things to do at work that when I got home, I felt the need to slow down. I got it, got my box of crayons and colored away. I didn't get to finish it since I had to go to practice. But as soon as I got home, no matter how late it was, I finished coloring the page before going to sleep. I don't know if it was a mere coincidence or because doing the coloring book relaxed me but when I woke up Saturday morning, I felt pretty good. I didn't let the day pass by lying in my bed or watching tv. I actually jumped up and started doing the things I needed to do. Even those that I didn't plan on doing that day, I did them or at least started on it. I think I was able to accomplish quite a lot in that day before heading out.
Its such a relaxing feeling. The only decisions we have to make is to decide on what hue to use and color away. Actually even that isn't really much. I don't agonize on which color for what. Its a page from a coloring book. I have no intentions of channeling Monet or Van Gogh. I pick the colors that jump to me. As we color the whole picture, there's no need to rush. Coloring allows us to take our time. To be patient as we painstakingly color each aspect of the whole picture. We just let the whole picture unravel right before our eyes. I don't make initial notes on which color go to which one. I just let it be and I don't remember the last time we just let things be especially in this world we live in now.
I have been looking for ways to de-stress at the end of the day but I couldn't seem to find one that filled that longing. That is until that fateful night, big thanks to Ali. Yes, it may seem weird for a woman my age to still be coloring books, Hello Kitty at that but I really don't care. It relaxes me and makes me take stock of my day. It allows me to let go of things that happened that day rather than musing and making myself worry even more. For that brief moment in my day, its all about the picture and me. I empty my mind and just let the picture do the talking and probably even the thinking. I didn't realize that such a childlike activity would have such an effect on me, but it did, it does.
We finished coloring our page that night and Ali let us bring our finished work home. But that didn't seem to sate the renewed feeling about it. The first opportunity I had to go get it, I did so. I got Chantal and I the same Hello Kitty coloring books and I have been coloring since. I didn't realize how much I would enjoy coloring books, Hello Kitty at that. I grew up around Hello Kitty, even now I still own and use a few Sanrio stuff here and there but really a coloring book. It may seem like a bit of a stretch but what Chantal and I like about it is its size. Its really big, almost like poster size. The pictures are pretty simple and uncomplicated. The outlines are thick so there's no "coloring beyond the lines" stuff. Oh okay, Hello Kitty is cute.
I don't do coloring book everyday. In fact ever since getting it, I have only done it once. I do it when I feel I need to settle, to relax, to slow down especially on a day when I feel like my whole day passed me by. Last Friday was like that. I had a lot things to do at work that when I got home, I felt the need to slow down. I got it, got my box of crayons and colored away. I didn't get to finish it since I had to go to practice. But as soon as I got home, no matter how late it was, I finished coloring the page before going to sleep. I don't know if it was a mere coincidence or because doing the coloring book relaxed me but when I woke up Saturday morning, I felt pretty good. I didn't let the day pass by lying in my bed or watching tv. I actually jumped up and started doing the things I needed to do. Even those that I didn't plan on doing that day, I did them or at least started on it. I think I was able to accomplish quite a lot in that day before heading out.
Its such a relaxing feeling. The only decisions we have to make is to decide on what hue to use and color away. Actually even that isn't really much. I don't agonize on which color for what. Its a page from a coloring book. I have no intentions of channeling Monet or Van Gogh. I pick the colors that jump to me. As we color the whole picture, there's no need to rush. Coloring allows us to take our time. To be patient as we painstakingly color each aspect of the whole picture. We just let the whole picture unravel right before our eyes. I don't make initial notes on which color go to which one. I just let it be and I don't remember the last time we just let things be especially in this world we live in now.
I have been looking for ways to de-stress at the end of the day but I couldn't seem to find one that filled that longing. That is until that fateful night, big thanks to Ali. Yes, it may seem weird for a woman my age to still be coloring books, Hello Kitty at that but I really don't care. It relaxes me and makes me take stock of my day. It allows me to let go of things that happened that day rather than musing and making myself worry even more. For that brief moment in my day, its all about the picture and me. I empty my mind and just let the picture do the talking and probably even the thinking. I didn't realize that such a childlike activity would have such an effect on me, but it did, it does.
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