It feels a little weird showing a coloring update post where it may not look like I’ve done a lot of coloring. Shading is a slow activity for me – so it may not be the most exciting spectator sport for others. 🙂 I do think there is value, though, in letting you see how my coloring speed and progress varies from day to day.
In your life, you may have others around you who don’t color and who don’t quite understand the enjoyment that you find in exploring your artistry through coloring. You may have heard comments made about how coloring isn’t “real” art, or it’s an activity that is mindless or a time waster or whatever. Coloring is a deep, rich activity full of so many forms of beauty – and a lot of the most beautiful coloring moments are ones that others can only view from a distance. Your personal coloring journey may encompass decorative artistry, self insight, acceptance and forgiveness of self and others, complicated thought or gentle, clear mindfulness. Sit down and color for 5 minutes, or 30, or an hour or all day long and the inner parts of you are going to come along for the ride.
And to the rest of the world, it might very well look like all you did today was dab some aqua in the corner shapes and color some blue thingies.
It can be very satisfying to complete a coloring page and show the finished piece to others. So many of us had that as part of coloring experience when we were children, and may have the habit of undervaluing the little individual steps that take us toward the endpoint. I often feel like I’m still developing my ability to appreciate my own slowest coloring steps. And then I look at those dabs of aqua and those blue thingies and feel quite good about the present coloring moment.
Today’s coloring is from Cool (Angie’s Extreme Coloring Books – Volume 2), colored with Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils.