I was so lost. I had been working 10-12 hour days at a non-profit where the vision was huge but the reality was soul-sucking.
I needed to make a big change.
A wise friend suggested I take a walk, think about a time when I was deeply content and steer my life in that direction. As I stood on top of the hill, wind blowing in my face, here’s the image that came up:
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I’m 26 years old. It’s evening and the sky is dark. We are inside lying on the smooth teak floors coloring- thirty five kids ages 4-17, and me. Crayola markers are everywhere. Every once in a while a child comes up to me for a new piece of paper and then we both go back to coloring.
Suddenly the power goes out. It’s pitch dark in the room. Everyone is bustling about. I am thinking we might all just give up and go to bed.
Then there is light. Three of the older teenage boys carry candles around the room dripping the wax so they stick to the floor. Everyone lies back down on the floor.
And we all resume coloring.
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This memory gave me the courage to quit my non-profit job.
I spent the next 3 years in graduate school trying to understand why coloring and being surrounded by kids who would color even during a power outage, felt like one of my most connected, grounded, aligned moments of life.
While I could go on an on about all the science behind it (yes- it was a Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy) here’s all you need to know-whether or not you think you are good at it- or not, coloring is good for you. It can reduce anxiety and stress, steer your brain away from negative thoughts, and even impact your heart rate.
Am I saying that coloring can change your life? Yes actually I am.
And I turned three of my images (Build a Longer Table, Cultivate Creativity and Join Together) into downloadable coloring pages. Print them out and go for it. Gather your people around and have a coloring party with friends and wine, color with your kids, have a romantic night of coloring with your partner while talking about how to solve all the world’s problems. Thanksgiving family awkwardness? Bring out the markers!
And please share the coloring pages with others in your community- friends, teachers, restaurant owners who give out coloring sheets to toddlers so they won’t destroy their restaurant (another example of the life changing power of coloring). You can access the coloring pages here or through my website homepage where folks can download the images for free.
Power outage need not deter- happy creating!