The Benefits of Coloring

Have you ever seen someone sitting in a cafe with some alcohol markers or colored pencils in hand, concentrating hard on coloring images in what seemed like an adult coloring book? It might have been a strange scene before but ever since adult coloring books became all the rage, this has been the norm.

Coloring is not just for kids anymore!

You read that right! Gone are the days when we associated coloring with kids and think that it’s not a hobby for adults. It was around 2012 when adult coloring books started hitting the stores, but it took about 3 years for them to become popular. Nowadays, coloring has been a huge trend and companies selling alcohol markers, coloring pencils, watercolor, and even crayons have gained a big profit from it. Colorists who share their alcohol marker colored creations on social media have also gained a huge following and kickstart their career as “influencers”.  

Coloring and Art Therapy

Have you ever heard of Art Therapy? Yes, it’s a thing. Basically, Art Therapy is just how it sounds; it’s like regular therapy but it’s probably more fun since you create something in the process. The American Art Therapy Association defines it as making or creating something to "explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem." 

Relieving stress through coloring

Let’s face it. Everyday life can be stressful. With school, work, and other personal stuff that we all have to go through, it’s no wonder that more and more people are finding ways to relieve their stress. The stress-relieving and calming effect of coloring have been proven to work well, no matter what your age is.  

Coloring for just a few minutes a day can help you focus on something else other than whatever is stressing you out, control your anxiety, and help you become mindful. Overall, it gives you a moment of relaxation every day in the same way that yoga calms you down. 

Beginner-friendly coloring

Coloring isn’t supposed to be stressful. That’s the whole point. If it’s stressing you out, then you’re probably doing it wrong. If you are a beginner in coloring and you want to try out its benefits, you might want to start by purchasing the necessary coloring supplies. Aside from the coloring book, the most highly recommended coloring medium to use are alcohol markers. 

These alcohol-based markers are beginner-friendly and, depending on the brand you get, will truly make you feel like an artist. They dry quickly and usually have both a fine tip and a brush tip on each end. If you store them properly, these artist alcohol markers can last for a long time without you having to replace them every month or so. In case you do need to replenish them, some companies offer artist alcohol marker refills. This way, you don’t need to throw out your markers and buy new ones.

Alcohol markers are relatively easier to use for beginners in coloring. They are easy to blend and can help you explore a variety of coloring techniques. Worried about the price of alcohol marker sets? Don’t worry! Some companies out there provide reasonably priced alcohol marker sets that are high-quality and won’t break the bank.

Coloring in Paper Crafting

Paper crafting has also been extremely trendy these days. From card-making to scrapbooking to travel journaling, paper crafting has been gaining more and more popularity. Artist alcohol markers are just one of the staple coloring mediums in a crafter’s collection. Card-makers use various coloring techniques and mediums to create one of a kind handmade cards. This would usually involve creating a colored background or coloring some stamped images. Coloring has also been popular among scrapbookers as it allows them to embellish and decorate their scrapbook pages. Those who are into DIY travel journaling consider alcohol markers as a handy tool as well. It can be used for adding colorful patterns, designs, and even some brush lettering in their journal.

How do I start coloring?

Coloring is not rocket science. Do you remember how much you loved it when you were a kid? How it calmed you down for a bit and made you forget about everything? It’s basically the same thing right now. As adults, we often mock people whose hobby is coloring. However, with all the benefits that you can get from coloring, there’s really nothing to be ashamed of. Think of it as a relaxing and calming exercise for your brain.

When you start coloring with alcohol markers, it might seem intimidating. Especially if you are trying to color a mandala or some other complex image. It might take some time for you to get used to it. You might make a few mistakes here and there. You might feel like you’re not improving at all. Our advice is to take it one image at a time. Do not compare yourself to others. Color one image today - start from there. Once you are more confident about your coloring skill, then try watching some YouTube videos and learn a few techniques. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. You are not going to get the benefits of coloring if you are trying to compete with others. Just relax and color your stress away!

We hope this inspires you to invest in some artist alcohol markers and start coloring today!