Was just wondering if anybody has tried the adult colouring books, as I'm aware a few regular forumites suffer with varying mental health issue.
I discovered them from some support groups and decided to buy one myself, along with some coloured pencils and it has really been helping me to take my mind off things and they help with concentration as my brain fog is getting worse these days.
I'm currently colouring Flowering plants of The Kew Gardens. There are some really good books on the market, but I went for an easyish one, but yeah, they are good therapy, so thought I'd give you all a head's up if you hadn't come across them before x
My best friend bought me an adult colouring book called "Animal Kingdom" by Millie Marotta after I had my surgery this year, because I was bed bound for a long time and got really bored!
I also suffer with depression and anxiety etc and I do find it therapeutic, although because I'm a perfectionist it can backfire when I get frustrated because I want it to look perfect, and I get really stressed out if I have similar colours next to each other etc. (Ridiculous I know!)
I find it keeps me busy more than anything, so I don't sit around thinking about things that have happened lately and dwelling on past events. :)
I'm just hoping my concentration improves, so I can get a really funky animal book I saw. Then hopefully I can get back into reading, instead of sitting at my laptop all day and night!!!
I have one thats patterns and one thats tattoo designs. I love doing them even though it takes ages to do because they are so detailed!
My partner has the tattoo designs one and he really enjoys it :) We sit and do our colouring together but he always finishes before me because the designs in my book are so intricate and made up of so many little parts - it takes forever!
I don't quite think I have the patience yet for the books and pictures with such fine and intricate details. Just looking at them made me feel dizzy, but hoping this improves in time.
I love these books. I prefer the ones with all the tiny, intricate details though. Even though I have never had the concentration to finish a whole picture in one go, I find having to concentrate really hard on colouring lots of tiny sections different colours is what helps me to calm anxiety. Like a tree where every leaf has to be coloured individually, or a bird where each feather is a seperate section.
I also like the small sized ones, as the large books are just too daunting and make me panic more! So tiny little book with lots of tiny little sections in each picture. It's no wonder I need glasses! :p
I've been thinking about getting one of these and now I think I'm going to have to; I usually colour regular cheap kids ones when I'm especially anxious but these look a bit more involved, which sounds good.
I have a few and thoroughly enjoy it! Only problem is that you quickly become a colouring pencil snob! Haha I've spent so much on decent pencils/pens. It's great for me since nursing is soo stressful haha its nice to come home after a 12.5 hour shift and sit chilling while doing some colouring.
Haha, I'm with you there, BB! I've still got my Karisma pencils from when I was an art student but I won't use them as they're the best pencils I've ever had and I can't get them anymore. Love drawing/colouring.
Not really related but I've read that Prismacolors are basically the exact same thing as Karisma ones and I'm inclined to believe it? I have a bunch of Prismacolors and tested one in olive against an ancient Karisma one of the same colour and the finish was identical. Tbf this was a while ago now and I no longer have access to that one Karisma, but still.
Yes there is something very therapeutic about this kind of passtime.During this crappy weather i have been spending time in the garage renovating stone garden ornaments with masonry paint,and enjoying it immensley!
Yep, they're the US version! They used to be pretty hard to find a while ago but now you can get them most places. I prefer the way the Karisma ones looked too, they were lovely!