The word “therapy” is used loosely these days. We say things
like, “I need a little shopping therapy,” or “being with family is all the
therapy I need.” What we mean is that we enjoy these activities, and that they
help us feel better. Strictly speaking, for something to be “therapeutic,” it
must be scientifically proven to heal, or at the least to support and maintain,
a desirable level of functioning. So, when we talk about adult coloring
activities as being “art therapy,” it is important to know that we are
primarily referring to the “it makes you feel better and it’s enjoyable” type
of therapy. While there are a few studies
that suggest that coloring mandalas can have positive impacts such as reducing
anxiety, I know of no studies that examine the coloring of other designs.
It is also important to note that “art therapy” is a mental
health profession, and that this term is not correctly used when referring to
art activities that are enjoyable. Art
therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which a client and therapist work
together in a relationship committed to alleviating troublesome symptoms of
anxiety, depression, and/or other diagnosed mental health problems. Art making
by the client becomes a medium of communication that clarifies problem areas,
relationship strengths and weaknesses, and increases self-awareness,
self-acceptance, and ability to function. Art therapists prefer that their clients create
their own personal, original art as self-expression, rather than working with
structured designs such as coloring books. The art work then is clearly
symbolic of the personal processes of the person creating it, and becomes rich
material for exploration of meaning in the psychotherapy relationship between
client and therapist. However, some art therapy clients are unable or unwilling
to risk creating their own original work. For such clients, an art therapist
might encourage coloring pre-formed designs to build client confidence so that
they can produce their own art.
Coloring sheets are sometimes used in “activity groups” for
people in educational and treatment settings: students with special needs, Psychiatric
patients, addicts and alcoholics, or elderly dementia patients. This is not “therapy” but the effects are
worthwhile, such as: exercising hand and eye coordination, making choices of
colors, paying attention to a single point of focus, enjoying a sense of accomplishment when a project is completed,
and providing a topic of conversation—or not. A woman recently shared with me
that during a visit with a beloved, but somewhat irritating, family friend, she
suggested coloring mandalas as an activity. First one, then another of the
family members happily took up the activity, relieving the need to converse,
and providing a quiet shared activity that all could take part in – “Even my
husband!” she marveled.
I recommend coloring to those who are anxious or depressed
who need help learning how to love, care for, and nurture themselves. Coloring
books are easily obtained, not
expensive, and provide an activity you can come back to again and again.
Coloring is easily done at home, and it can also be taken along for boring
moments in an airline terminal, a jury pool, or a hospital room. Coloring is
good for those who want a creative activity, but are intimidated by blank
canvases.
I hear from teachers that coloring is a favorite reward
after completing assigned work, and coloring mandalas helps students calm,
settle, and focus before taking important tests. I read recently about a
nursing home in Texas where coloring was very popular with residents, and
seemed to give residents a great deal of pleasure. (“Color Me Happy,” Ft.
Worth, Texas Magazine, Sept. 2015) I am not aware of any research that confirms
the usefulness of coloring for children and adults with special needs. However,
I recommend offering coloring as an activity to anyone. If they like it, allow
them to do more of it. The fact that they like coloring tells me that it is
doing something good for them!
My art therapy specialty is creating and coloring mandalas (circular
designs). The word “mandala” is Sanskrit
for center, circumference, or essence. Mandalas are sacred in Eastern
religions, and many other religions use mandalas in their places of worship in
the form of stained glass windows, gilded domes, and intricate floor patterns
of colored tile, marble, and semi-precious stone. The Swiss psychoanalyst Carl
Jung adopted the word “mandala” for the circular drawings spontaneously created
by his patients when in intensive psychotherapy with him. He observed that these
mandalas helped anchor his patients during times of profound change that otherwise
might have threatened their psychological stability. Jung attributed the
appearance of mandalas in his patients’ artwork to a manifestation of a human
impulse to strive for balance and wholeness.
Interestingly, all children spontaneously create mandalas
between the ages of 2 and 4. This is the time when children are developing a psychological
sense of self that is more than just the body that they are. They are learning
that they can initiate action themselves, and produce an effect on their
surroundings. They are growing out of the infant’s sense of being “at one” with
everything, and learning their own limits, physically, psychologically, and
socially: where they end, and others begin. The fact that mandala making is
universal among children suggests that creating mandalas is part of the process
of developing a sense of self.
It makes sense, then, that when adults are forced by life
circumstances to make adjustments in who they think they are, creating mandalas
is a natural response that supports health, healing, and wholeness. In my work
as an art therapist I have observed that creating mandalas helps people
stabilize and re-orient themselves amidst their life changes. It is for this
reason that I am deeply committed to creating mandalas and leading others to
experience for themselves the healing potential of mandalas. No doubt the
buyers of coloring books have discovered this for themselves, and keep coming
back for more mandalas to color!
I am as surprised as anyone by the popularity of adult
coloring books. People tell me they find coloring relaxing, that they get
satisfaction from completing a design with their own color selections. It is my
hope that coloring books serve as a comfortable step toward exploring other
forms of creative self-expression, such as drawing one’s own mandalas,
painting, or clay work. Creativity is
healing in the widest sense: it helps us reach beyond ourselves, and rehearse the
making of choices that can result in a more satisfying life. This all seems
good to me!
For someone who is starting their first coloring project, I
would suggest:
- Pick designs you like.
- Use simple media (good quality colored pencils
are my favorite).
- Have “try paper” at hand, so you can see what
the color looks like before you color with it.
- Experiment with different ways of putting color
on the paper: light, heavy, layers.
- Be gentle with yourself: set aside expectations for
perfection (whatever that is!).
- You might enjoy using your coloring book like a
journal: record the date(s) of your coloring, and jot down a few lines about
what you are thinking and feeling.
- Revisit your work: you may not like the results
of your work at first, but taking a look at it a day, a month, or a year later
your opinion may be quite different.
- Coloring is about making choices, and the colors
you choose express something important about you and what you are experiencing
at the moment you do your coloring. To go deeper into the significance of your
color choices, see my book: Creating Mandalas: For Insight, Healing, and
Self-Expression (Shambhala, 2010) Chapters 3 and 4.
To someone on the fence about buying their first adult
coloring book: Try it! You just might like it! A lot!
