Book Review....Animal Kingdom by Millie Marotta's

My new colouring book!

 Are you following the new trend.....Colouring?

Yes I said colouring (or for those of you in America.... coloring). It's a pass time that I did lots of when I was a child but not too much of since my own children were little. 
 A while ago a friend of mine told me she had bought a colouring book. I had seen them around in various  places and they had piqued my interest, but I hadn't quite got round to buying one for myself. Anyhow, a few weeks back we went out together and came across one on our travels and I snapped one up. It's a beautifully patterned book full of  wild animals, flowers, foliage and a feast to the eyes...totally different to the stuff I had as a kid!   
I wanted to get stuck in straight away. Problem!  I arrived home and realised I didn't have any coloured pens...... so it sat around in my "Sanity Space" tempting me and drawing me to it.  Even though I didn't have anything to colour with I kept opening the book and looking at all the lovely pattens and feeling like I couldn't wait to get started. Why does it seem so appealing? Well, maybe it's because it  makes you feel like a kid again. 
I had to wait a full week before I eventually got round to visiting an art shop to find just the right pens. Too thin.... it takes forever (and you hold your breath).... too thick and you go over the lines spoiling the effect.... eventually I came home with  a lovely mixed 12 pack from Faber - Castell,  a skin tones 6 pack AND  6 pack of NEON colours. That would keep me going for a while! The good thing about Faber -Castle is that if you find that you are missing a colour you can add individual shades to your collection as you go. Sorted. 

Faber - Castell Pens

The wise old owl

Why is it all so popular right now? Probably because of its De-stressing ability. One of the first psychologist who used colouring as a relaxation therapy was Carl Jung. The practice of colouring is said to aid quietness and it stimulates areas of the brain related to motor skills and creativity.
 Jung used mandalas or circular designs with concentric shapes, the type you see a lot of in India.
Apparently psychologists these days say coloring activates different areas of our two cerebral hemispheres involving both logic and creativity and also involves areas of the cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills. It lowers the activity of the Amygdala, a basic part of our brain that is affected by stress  and involved in controlling emotion.
In  some respects while we focus on the activity of colouring we are not focusing on our worries. It can  also connect us with how we are feeling as we have a propensity to chose different colours depending on the mood we are in.

Indian Elephant

 It definitely brings out my imagination and takes me back to my childhood. I love the vibrant colours and mixing, matching and contrasting them. I probably should do colouring just by itself as a stand alone activity,  however I tend to do it whilst listening to things on pod casts or my Spanish CD's. However you  chose to do it just have a go..... it can enhance your relaxation, aid your learning and make you feel young again!

On to my next colouring adventure!

Jx