From hot red to cool blue, coloring calms stressed-out grown-ups

Keep calm and color on.

That’s the idea behind a trend that’s leaving a trail of colored pencil shavings across the country and now into the doors of Stanislaus County Library branches: coloring as a therapeutic exercise and stress reliever.

Hundreds of coloring pages for grown-ups can be downloaded from the Internet at sites including Pinterest. Scores of books are sold online and in bookstores. Modesto’s Barnes & Noble store has several displays of the books, with themes including art masterpieces, travel, tattoo designs, mandalas, paisley patterns and Nordic designs.

Even a board member of Modesto’s Central California Art Association, Linda Knoll, is in the process of collecting her “doodles” into a book. She writes about it and shares images in “Jumping on the Coloring Book Bandwagon” at lindaknollart.blogspot.com.

On Saturday, the Modesto library will host a two-hour session called “Color Yourself Calm.” Staff members will provide black-and-white design sheets and crayons, markers and pencils.

“I saw these coloring books were becoming best-sellers,” said Vicki Salinas, the reference librarian at the Modesto library who’s behind Saturday’s event. “It was happening over and over again.” Currently, “Color Therapy: An Anti-Stress Coloring Book” is on the Publishers Weekly best-sellers list for hardcover nonfiction, while the “Creative Cats Coloring Book” and “Stress Relieving Patterns” are on its list for trade paperbacks.

“I bought one to try it and, firsthand, it really has reduced my stress level at the end of the day,” Salinas said. “It doesn’t take the place of therapy or anything, but it does help people focus a lot more, help them unplug.”

Though coloring doesn’t replace therapy, it can be part of it. Modesto resident Shannon Harris, a certified grief consultant who lost her son Anthony to cancer when he was 5, said she uses coloring as a form of meditation and regularly recommends the books to clients.

“The adult coloring books being published now have amazingly intricate designs and patterns that allow the user to sort of get lost in them,” she told The Bee in an email. “So when a person is feeling sad, overwhelmed or anxious, it allows them a space for expression. Everything from choosing the colors to choosing which page to fill in gives pause for reflection.”

Modesto photographer Cynthia Bañuelos said she turned to coloring while researching ways to put her Graves’ disease into remission.

“One of the things that sets it off is stress and anxiety,” she learned. “I got back into my photography, started taking walks and watching what I eat. I then ran into these adult coloring books, which I totally love. Every time I catch myself beginning to stress, I bust out with my color pencils ... and take out a color book. ... I am happy to say my disease has been in remission for about two years now. It helps!”

Another Modestan, Patricia Roten, bought a “Color Me Calm” book for her 7-year-old son, Zavier, who has “trouble with impulse control and out-of-control emotions,” she said.

It became an activity mother and son could enjoy together.

“We soon discovered it was an excellent bonding tool. We color together, focus on coloring, we talk and just take time to breathe,” Roten said. “The challenge of the coloring helps us focus on what we are coloring, releasing all the anxieties our minds are convinced we need to clench tight to.”

And Jilian Webster, who described herself as a working mother “battling mental illness and the stress of being low income with a 2-year-old in Modesto,” said she recently read an article likening coloring to meditation.

“It blew me away when I tried it. It has helped me wind down so drastically,” she said.

More than 100 people responded to a Facebook post by The Bee inquiring about the coloring craze. The great majority were firmly on board.

“I find it very relaxing and it keeps my hands busy when watching a movie so I’m not constantly putting food in my mouth,” wrote Frankie Adkins.

“Coloring does relieve stress,” said Regan Matthews. “Once you get in touch with your inner child and let go of all those ridiculous societal opinions, any form of art is a great stress reliever. Therapists regularly suggest creative art forms for coping with life’s challenges.”

Tiffannie Fayad Raney wrote, “Six years ago, when my mom was in the hospital, I bought a coloring book. Really helped calm me down and not stress her out too much.”

A mother of four, Iris Valdivia added, “Love coloring when everyone’s asleep. It helps me calm down and unwind.”

And Alvena Maryam Safar said, “Just like doing yoga or meditating, these books allow you to tune out all thoughts and focus on one thing like filling small spaces with color and stay within the lines.”

Of course, not everyone was so sincere.

Jose Dominguez saw an opportunity to be had from all the color-happy commenters. “Paint my house!”

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 4:02 PM with the headline "From hot red to cool blue, coloring calms stressed-out grown-ups."