National Coloring Day
Do you love to color? In case you didn’t know, today is National Coloring Day! What better way to celebrate than by busting out your favorite colored pencils or markers and indulging in some creative time? Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced colorist, there’s a whole world of beautiful designs waiting for you to create. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to unleash your inner artist!
Colouring, an act of being creative, is one of the ways to express our thoughts and emotions. Gone are those days when we used to think coloring was for kids, not anymore! National Colouring day is celebrated by both older and younger generations.
Do you know that there is a day that has been recognized that you can set aside for yourself to color and get creative with paper, crayons, colored pencils, and markers?
Of course, you might want to ask why we celebrate an event of little importance as National Coloring Day when there are other noble efforts that deserve to be praised! Well, it is important to know that regardless of a person’s level of artistic competence, creativity, and interest in arts and crafts, therapists recommend coloring as one of the most effective ways to manage stress.
It wasn’t until much more recently that the advantages for adults were discovered. In a National Public Radio(NPR) show on stress management that was held in 2015, the illustrator of The Enchanted Forest Coloring Book, Johanna Basford, talked about the advantages of coloring for adults as a way to cope with stress and anxiety.
One of the lovely things about coloring, especially for those who are so engaged with many things, is that they can do it while they are involved with other things like sitting in a class, in a meeting, or Zoom calls. It is vital to note that coloring has a way to sharpen your attention and make you more present with what you are involved in such that it can even help you concentrate better.
Every year on September 14, National Coloring Day is celebrated. It is a day that has been dedicated to coloring. Do you want to know more about the day? Read below!
History of National Coloring Day
The “democratization of art” movement is at the center of the designation of this day. The movement asserted that all pupils may benefit from art since it enhances cognitive abilities, develops skills needed for getting a job, and benefits kids in a spiritual sense. In the 1880s, the first coloring book, The Little Folk’s Painting Book, was invented by the McLoughlin Brother company.
Crayons didn’t become widely used until the 1930s; coloring books originally utilized paint instead of crayons. Both kids and adults are said to benefit from coloring, and it’s also thought to be therapeutic for people who are stressed out or going through trauma. In 2015, National Coloring Day was founded by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, “Queen of the Holidays.”
The best way to celebrate National Coloring Day is to print coloring pages from the internet, color on a piece of blank paper, or use a coloring book. Printing some out would be a good idea for you and your children or the children in your neighborhood. Make use of markers or crayons. Choose a few or a lot of colors. A group of friends or by yourself can color. Simply color whatever you do!
How People Celebrate National Coloring Day
Below are some common ways people mark this day:
On National Coloring Day, people have the chance to color. They get down with some paper or a coloring book and their preferred materials. For those without coloring books, there are websites where they may download and print free coloring sheets in their houses.
Have a Coloring Party
People purchase some colored pencils, and a coloring book with perforated pages, and spread them out on any plane surface. They share the colored pencils and socialize as they work!
Create Art with their Team
On National Coloring Day, as a team-building exercise, people make a selfie creation and coloring game and share some fun information about themselves.
Therapists Bring Coloring Books To Their Workspace
Therapists provide entertainment for their clients while they wait. They may even incorporate books into their therapy sessions as a unique technique to encourage clients to open up.
Importance of National Coloring Day
Here are some reasons you should consider celebrating this day:
Coloring Is Fun
You can enter a realm of creative expression as you unwind and begin coloring, and all of your persistent daily thoughts will start to fade. To be able to color inside or outside the lines, you set all the rules.
Coloring Has Therapeutic Benefits
According to studies, therapy can benefit from coloring as well as its use as a stress-relieving technique. Coloring is a creative and repetitive hobby that enables your mind to become focused on what you’re doing and to temporarily suspend some of your higher-order cognitive processes.
The history of adult coloring begins with the late, famous psychologist Carl Jung. Many psychologists still advise patients to do this as a way to unwind and as a relaxing technique.
Coloring Is A Self-Care Practice
Self-care doesn’t have to be restricted to what you should do according to other people. Spend a few minutes adding the “me time” you require to take a break and concentrate on the piece you are producing and all the little elements that make it come to life. It might be exactly what you need to genuinely unlock the sense of tranquillity and clarity you long for.
Coloring Fosters Concentration
Adult coloring requires concentration and time, which helps the person shift their attention away from unhealthy habits and difficulties and toward something positive.
Coloring Is Similar To Meditation
Many of the effects of meditation are also produced by coloring, including a slowed heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and activation of the relaxation response. It is also a tremendously effective approach to inducing a meditative state without the restrictions that meditation can occasionally provide
Coloring Engages Both Sides Of The Brain
The idea of coloring is very practical and inexpensive to implement. Your brain will work on both sides throughout the day, stimulating creativity.
Coloring Goes Beyond Coloring Books
Coloring books are included on National Coloring Day. This holiday encourages us to be more imaginative by experimenting with different materials and thinking outside the box. Apply this concept to other areas of your life to take it a step further!
Other importance of National Coloring Day include;
What to Give On National Coloring Day
Make a difference on National Coloring Day by giving coloring materials to the art department of your neighborhood school. Numerous libraries also provide after-school programs, and because of your kind donation, coloring might end up being a kid’s top pick.
We could all use a little coloring to clear our heads and relax after the chaos of life’s ups and downs. So, whether you’re coloring with a group of friends at a coloring party, coloring by yourself, or helping clients, simply have fun, or unplug from technology, make magic!
Pick up some paper and some crayons, colored pencils, or markers to brighten your day by letting your imagination run wild into a world of color. Therefore, on National Coloring Day, if you haven’t already, head outside, pick up a color set, and start coloring. Bring out the colored pencils, markers, and crayons!