Nonfiction
The Art Therapy Benefits of Adult Coloring Books
Most of us learned to color at an early age. It’s part of that process of learning our motor skills, the ability to pick up a crayon and draw, then learning to color between the lines. What fun that was.
Who would have known that such a simple thing can have benefits for our mental health throughout our life journey and as we grow to become an adult?
What is Art Therapy?
Most of us understand what ‘therapy’ is. Basically, assistance to resolve a problem or issue that we have, where we usually go to see a psychologist or psychotherapist. The difference with art therapy is that instead of talking and working through the issues in a more mental way, with art therapy it’s the process of using your emotions freely to allow you to create whatever is there to be created, artistically.
You can go to a professional art therapist who guides you in using art as a method of expression or pick up a coloring book and do it yourself. Sure, there are some that might say that coloring is therapeutic and therefore not therapy, yet the research disagrees.
A Very Well Mind tells us that
“People do not need to have artistic ability or special talent to participate in art therapy, and people of all ages including children, teens and adults, can benefit from it. Techniques used in art therapy can include drawing, painting, coloring… etc.”
There are a number of benefits of art therapy including:
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Assisting with mental agility and presence
- Lowering depression
- Exploring your emotions
Coloring Books for Adults
Creative Haven By the Sea Color by Number (Adult Coloring Books: Sea Life)
Coloring Books for Adults
Disney Dreams Collection Thomas Kinkade Studios Coloring Book
Why Use Coloring Books for Therapy
Well to put it simply, they are easy to access. There are many different adult coloring books available today to suit your passions and interests or to reminisce about your childhood. They are simple to purchase and easy to work with. All you need are the coloring book and a set of pencils and we all know how easy they are to buy.
The thing that is great about using adult coloring books is you don’t need to be as creative as when you are trying to create a piece of art yourself.
The benefits of coloring books are you can have one with you most of the time and enjoy using it wherever you are, at the coffee shop, in the park, at the library, or at home.
You can even get a group of friends together for a fun coloring session.
What Would You Color for Fun and Relaxation?
If you could choose to be that child, having the fun and enjoyment of using a coloring book for the very first time, knowing that it is also providing the benefit of art therapy, what adult coloring book would you choose?
There are coloring books full of flowers, seascapes, animals, mandalas, Disney characters and even ones that include puzzles.
You can be adventurous and buy one full of Disney characters just so you can color Pooh bear. Or, decide to spend more time concentrating on one of those intricate mandalas that you see created by the Monks with sand that are so beautiful you don’t want them to disband them.
