How I Discovered Colouring as a Hobby
During my first year of university, I put all my time, energy, and attention into academics. While this was productive, I slowly began to lose sight of the hobby I cherished growing up: Visual Arts. In my adolescent years, I attended a private art studio every week where I would sketch and explore my creativity with oil paints. I truly loved painting and it has been a consistent hobby of mine since I was around eight years old. Fast forward to university, when the workload of school started to pick up, I noticed I would cancel my weekly studio sessions to catch up on schoolwork. I put my hobby on the back burner, and slowly fell out of it by the end of my first semester. This took a toll on my mental health because I never realized how important it is to maintain an activity that you are truly passionate about. All my time and energy were going into schoolwork, which was hard because I did not have a designated hobby to help lower my stress levels.
Over the Winter Break, I made a goal for myself that I would go into my second semester with a brand-new hobby and stay consistent. I stumbled across a colouring book while thrifting in my neighbourhood. It was very cheap, so I decided to give colouring a try. I already had the markers for it, so in my head, this seemed like the perfect hobby! That day I coloured two whole pages. I truly enjoyed it and since I have a love for painting, this kept my inner child happy and allowed me to use different colours to explore my creativity. I began to use colouring not just for my own enjoyment but during times when I felt overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed.
My Favourite Illustrator
I was super lucky to have found my favourite colouring book illustrator from the jump. The colouring book I found in the thrift store was by Johanna Basford and is titled Enchanted Forest. The flowers and trees within the book caught my eye. I also love the way her books are illustrated because some pages have intricate designs, while others are more simple. I enjoy this because sometimes I am not in the mood to do a super detailed page, so it is nice to have that variety.
It has been a little less than a year since I picked up this hobby, and I have almost gone through three books! I tend to lose track of time when I’m in the zone of colouring. Time flies when you’re doing something you enjoy!
Currently, my favourite book I have in my collection is called Rooms of Wonder, by Johanna Basford. The variety of interiors within the book is super interesting and it has lots of small details to colour in. I have coloured in about 70% of the book and I plan on exploring other colouring books by different illustrators when I complete it!
How Keeping up this Hobby Improved my Mental Health
Having something to put my energy into that does not require much effort has been very helpful throughout the school year. For me, it is very easy to lose sight of my passions and push hobbies to the side during the school year. Colouring is a very low-maintenance activity that I can do anywhere, which is very convenient. I love colouring outside in my backyard and on picnic dates as well!
While I am colouring, I find myself to be super relaxed and stress-free which then helps me lower my overall stress levels. I also pair my colouring sessions with a television show in the background. I typically pick an older show that I have already watched since it’s super comforting for me. Recently, I’ve been putting Friends on while I colour. It’s a super lighthearted show that I don’t really need to pay attention to. I’ve also substituted my nightly TikTok scrolls with colouring! This is honestly more enjoyable for me and has improved the quality of my sleep!