I believe that each coloring picture is like a little snapshot from your ongoing coloring journey.
Every page and every shape holds the mood and feelings that you brought to the picture.
Sometimes that might be deep thoughts with deep meanings, and other times perhaps light thoughts – or even no thoughts. But by working in an art form where you bring your individuality to a set of lines and shapes, colorings become very personal.
One of the great gifts of coloring is that it can be an intensely personal experience, or not – you choose what’s right for you at the moment of coloring. But no matter how private your thoughts may be as you color, the resulting picture is respectful of your privacy and doesn’t go blabbing about anything to other people.
What might be in this picture today? Are those warm cozy colors? Is that an anger red? Is that gentle gray mindfulness? Did the big fat X inspire playfulness? Was my health good or bad? Was I worried or lighthearted? I know all of the answers, and am refreshed from spending my coloring time being aware of my parade of thoughts. But unless I choose to share the intimate details of this little part of my coloring journey, this picture can be almost anything to anybody.
Does it remind you of gingerbread cookies and holidays? Perhaps a favorite purse you owned years ago? A loyal dog who wears a red collar? A muddy day in the garden? Something that makes you happy? Something that makes you sad? It can be any and all of these things. And your interpretation may have nothing at all to do with the thoughts or feelings that I put into it, and that’s OK.
These light gray small circles had special meaning while I colored. But to tell you the truth, as I look at this photo right now – it’s that toasty brown that is catching my eye and filling my head with thoughts of freshly baked cookies just out of the oven. The kind with chocolate chips still at the totally melty stage.
I think there is something very important about making art with your heart and mind fully open, letting all of your important feelings flow into the page. But I also think that there is something so wonderfully gentle about knowing that you can do that without any need to reveal parts of you that feel better when kept safely private. Free, full expression without apprehension or fear – don’t ever let anyone try to convince you that coloring isn’t a magnificent art form. 🙂
(Today’s magnificent art piece is from Balance For Crayons And Wide Tipped Markers.)
(Colored with these Copic marker shades.)