“Happy!” What an upbeat word.
Makes me
think of a woman I once met called Happy. It wasn’t a nick name either,
and perfectly matched her personality: Always smiling. Positive. Cheerful. And
who doesn’t sing and clap along with the song, “Happy,” by Pharrell Williams.
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| Wait until you see the pages inside. So cute! |
A bit of
happy turned up in my mailbox not long ago when artist/friend Gina Graham sent
me a complimentary copy of “Here's Some Happy.” It’s a 32-page coloring book of
her original designs and sports a cute, black Scottish Terrier on the cover. (I
so want one of those dogs.)
So, yes, like
thousands of others, coloring books for grownups have my attention these days. They
seem to be everywhere: craft stores, grocery stores, dollar stores, fabric
stores, and even in the work place. Apparently they are “in” right now.
Not too long
ago my local paper ran an article about their current popularity, touching upon
the benefits coloring can have on one’s health. Intrigued, I did a little
research into the subject. In a nutshell, here’s what I learned: Coloring
helps reduce stress, fosters friendships, counters anxiety and more.
Coloring is calming
Simply
stated, coloring calms us. Scientific studies indicate that as we color our
brains become more focused, quieting our minds and enabling us to relax. Ah,
how nice.
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| Totally relaxed after coloring this page. |
Tracy
Chastain, a friend of Gina, is a prime example of this. She is battling cancer
and uses coloring to assist her in the fight. Her comments below truly underscore
the immense value of a coloring book:
“I am on an oral chemotherapy regimen for an EGFR
lung cancer mutation. Once a month I get an infusion to help strengthen my
bones and slow the spread of my metastatic bone cancer. It’s a long, difficult
day and often stirs up anxiety in me as I usually do it alone.
“One day I was scheduled for an infusion and
was particularly distressed, crying non- stop. Life of cancer had caught up
with me and I was overwhelmed by it all. I was finally grieving from this
diagnosis. Thinking I could not get through another treatment, I began packing
my things, about to skip the treatment, and head home. But then my social
worker brought me an adult coloring page and some colored pencils, providing a
distraction and a way to ‘escape’ for a bit. That’s when I knew I had to get me
a copy of ‘Here’s Some Happy.’
“I knew coloring would give me some moments
where I can focus my attention on details, but not the details of cancer. It is
my little piece of tranquility. It is my place of respite. And now I am finding
that about every day I need to open up ‘Happy’ and spend a
few minutes getting away from the daily task of cancer. It soothes my soul and is
therapeutic. I am so thankful that such a small thing as a lovely, whimsical,
encouraging coloring book can do all that. And yet it does!”
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| Another artist in the family: Gina's Mom! |
Others have
relayed similar stories, even an artist:
“Coloring and creating art helps me (Gina) combat daily anxiety and
depression - which has stalked me since I was a teenager. Thankfully it also
played a big role in my own cancer journey, providing relief as I healed from thyroid removal and
the scary complications that followed in 2013.
“On
the surface coloring might seem trivial. How can something so simple help a
person in deep pain? For me coloring was a sweet distraction. It’s been said
that you can’t color and worry at the same time. I’ve found it to be true. It’s
easy to get lost in the picture and colors. The mind gets a break and painful
things loose there focus for a time, giving the body real rest.”
These are
two remarkable women and stories. Now let me tell you another which I stumbled
upon while doing my research.
Coloring at Work
This one is
about an innovative young man I heard about via FoxNews.com who brought a coloring book and crayons to his
workplace! On Friday afternoons, he did some coloring
to counter all the challenges of the week. Eventually, some of his co-workers
joined him in the conference room. I don’t know where he got the idea, but it
worked. If I owned a business I’d be quick to initiate a similar practice.
After all, happy employees make good employees.
Coloring at Home
Here’s
another novel idea that came from my research which has the potential to
cultivate or deepen relationships: start a Ladies’ Coloring Club! One woman did
this by inviting her friends to meet once a month at her home where they would color,
sip wine, and visit. Sounds like a hoot. What an ideal way to get to know
others plus develop a healthy outlook on life by coloring for a few hours with
friends.
Coloring at the Library
My local
library gave me a surprise recently when I noticed it offers a weekly coloring
opportunity for anyone over 18. That’s a win-win for me as reading books and
enjoying art are my two favorite forms of entertainment. The combination of being in a book environment while participating in a creative activity makes me happy. And the thought of having a lively book discussion as we color
away makes me want to go out and buy a new box of crayons.
What about
you? Ready to borrow your child’s crayons and join the trend? Or perhaps acquire
a coloring book to encourage someone you know with a chronic illness or in distress?
Would love to hear your story in the comment box below if you do.
Meanwhile, stay
upbeat. Live happy!
Julie
P.S. To buy a copy of "Here's Some Happy" or see other art by Gina go to www.ginagraham.com. Or check out www.facebook.com/heressomehappy.
