Snookered by a nasty chest cold the other week and feeling very sorry for myself, I recalled that whenever I was sick, (which was quite frequent in my childhood), my Dad always bought me a colouring book. Often he splurged and included a brand new pack of Crayola® crayons!Eight shiny, perfectly pointed red, green, blue, yellow, orange, purple, brown and black imagination sparklers and a brand new colouring book - always an invitation to have fun and when sick, a temporary escape from miserable. And all for the sum of maybe 50¢.
Plagued by cabin fever, I took myself out to the craft store. There was no shortage of colouring books, all under a banner declaring them to be "ADULT." My cold medicated brain, immediately conjured up images of ... well, you know, naked people ... A grin creased my pallid face and what began as a guffaw ended as a germ laden paroxysm of coughing.
Staff and other shoppers kept their distance as I perused the selection. Intricate cityscapes, elaborate gardens, convoluted mandalas - all made my eyes water. Most were just too complex, too demanding of time and clear-headed concentration. All cost $8 and up. But I was determined to spend and afternoon in the blanket fort, colouring. So I settled on a book of pleasing shapes.
Now I needed something to colour with. Not crayons this time, but coloured pencils would do the trick. The display boasted packs of 24 for $30 and up. Oh, I don't think so! After buying the book, I headed to the business supply store, where I found the tall slim cousins of crayons.
$4.39 for a pack of 12 pre-sharpened coloured pencils AND a sharpener - BONUS!
Back home in the fort I settled into an afternoon of simple mindless pleasure. Not art therapy, not meditation, not a creative exploration of colour and pattern but a tender escape from miserable.
The virus has left me now, but some afternoons I can be found sitting in the living room, lap desk on my knees, colouring.
Just for the fun of it.
Go have some fun this week!
©2015 April Hoeller
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