To see kids colour is rewarding. Bent on a piece of paper, holding crayons in their little hands in their distinct styles, colouring is one of the first exercises that introduces children to the joy of art. At an age when they are discovering control of finger movements, experiencing new sights and sounds and developing their visual senses, colouring is an ideal activity that teaches patience and enriches creativity. They indulge in the mentally stimulating act of pondering over which colours to choose and rejoice in the discovery of new colour combinations.
Colouring books are a fond childhood memory for a lot of people. Given the benefits of this unassuming activity, it is no wonder that today, colouring books for adults are also becoming a rage. Some titles that have given adults a chance to relive their childhood nostalgia are Bagh-e-Bahar “ The Mughal Garden published by Good Earth, Game of Thrones by HarperCollins India, Jaya and Sita by Devdutta Pattnaik and Beauty Needs Space: A Colouring Book For Big Children self-published by Indu Harikumar.
The Game of Thrones colouring book is a treat for George R R Martin fans. For the mushy types, HarperCollins India is also coming up with a Mills and Boons colouring book that has line drawings of some of its best covers. Devdutta Pattnaik’s colouring books have simple line drawings of characters and episodes from Ramayana.
The trend of adult colouring books is worth thinking about. One, it proves that it is important to give a vent to creative pursuits even in adult life. An act as simple as filling colours in lined sketches can be a source of joy and relaxation. There is no shame in admitting pleasure in simple stuff meant for kids. There is no expiry date on having fun and adult colouring books only tell us to go easy, take a break, sit and relax. Colouring is rewarding in its silent, imperceptible introspection.
The British Association of Art Therapists, established in 1964, promotes the use of art as a means of communication to help children, adults and elderly. People with a wide range of ailments have experienced alleviating effects while indulging in art programs. Adrian Hill, a British artist, is said to have coined the term art therapy in 1942. Hill took to drawing objects in his hospital room while recovering from tuberculosis. Later, he also trained patients in the sanatorium and shared the benefits of art therapy with them. Artist Edward Adamson, who taught art at Natherne Hospital for 35 years used art to help patients battling different mental ailments express themselves better. Adamson is acknowledged as the father of modern art therapy.
Doodling, the act of drawing random designs while talking on phone, or to pass time, is just another example of how our subconscious is designed to engage in expression through art. Research has shown that doodling is linked with improving memory, focus, grasping new concepts and retaining information. The article, ‘Cognitive Benefits of Doodling’ by Steven Heller published in The Atlantic about recent research into arts, design science and psychology suggests strong links between use of drawing to express spontaneous concepts and emotions.
So, there is nothing cuckoo about being an adult and sitting with colouring books. There is also nothing wrong with indulging in a seemingly aimless pursuit. High stress lives that leave people with just about enough space to come home and crash perhaps need just that “ an aimless, idle snatch of time. Colouring books, art projects, me-time activities create a niche of solitude and well-being.
In his famous novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde made an interesting remark. A famous line goes, “The only reason we create a useless thing is that we admire it immensely. All art is quite useless.” This sentence is inspirational. The apparent mocking tone is actually an uplifting reminder that not all pursuits in life need to be after useful and measurable things. Art is just as important even though its usefulness may be debated. Why else, would cultures all over the world value art and why would art museums still be revered as must-visit shrines?
Kids are enjoying summer vacation and parents who are busy trying to entertain them might as well take up the opportunity to take up arts and crafts summer projects themselves along with the kids. Engaging in creative pursuits without a concrete goal in mind is much like taking an evening walk in a new neighbourhood. Just like a walk in a pleasant countryside gives exhilarating joy of taking in new sights, art projects can engage our mind and rejuvenate it.
Take colouring as a chance to explore. Do not hold kids too tight as they play on paper. Parents or teachers who impose their ideas of colour combinations, forms and figures might be doing a disservice to the children. Let kids run riot with colours. When dabbling with creativity, it is alright if flowers are brown and branches are red. Art need not meet reality.
There is a world of information on blogs dedicated to arts and crafts on the internet. Some of these blogs are worth taking inspiration from. A simple search will lead you to individuals who make fantastic use of their time and catalogue their creative pursuits - be it painting, quilling, beading, papier mache, origami, collage, etc on various online media. Look and you shall find!
Gauri Gharpure studied journalism at Columbia University, New York, on a Fulbright grant. She makes paper jewellery on the side and tweets @gaurigharpure
