I’ve been running around here like a mad woman these past few weeks and instead of just falling to the floor and having a good cry (my usual go-to) or eating a whole pint of ice cream while wearing my pajamas and listening to Adele (also valid)… I channeled my craziness into something that has been proven to reduce stress… Adult coloring pages.

That’s right. You totally read that correctly. Like a grown woman, I got out my markers and pencils and crayons and I sat cross-legged on my floor and I colored.

I know that my 8-Year-old self would be so proud of me because that is exactly what she thought I would be doing every single night as a grown up. Staying up way past my bedtime and no one telling me to stop coloring. I dreamed big y’all, let me tell ya…

There is something soothing about filling in the shapes and keeping everything in the lines (or not, if that is your thing…)

I can make the picture exactly how I want it… and none of the markers tell me “no” and then do whatever they want to do. (unlike a few little people in my life recently….*ahem*)

I started creating my own coloring book pages based off of inspirations from the fabric in my sewing room and I couldn’t stop! My passion for quilting kept me drawing more and more.

I loved every single second of it and looked forward to this nightly routine after my kids went to bed. There may have been a little glass of wine too?

It started out as little doodles here and there on the corners of the papers on my desk. Soon, I had created a collection of 25 adult coloring pages that lived and breathed quilty fabric inspiration! Oh, it was so lovely!

Coloring is a great way to relax, unwind, and de-stress! Adult coloring pages are super popular! Remember what it's like to be a kid and finish a beautiful picture... and then go hang it up on your own refrigerator because, wow. YOU DID AWESOME on it!

Seriously, why do we tend to stop coloring whenever we switch to legal pads for our mile-long to-do lists?!

If you’re curious, yes… I absolutely have my own stash of “mommy’s markers” that my kids are not allowed to color with. I buy them their own separate markers.

Doodling is fun… Us busy girls need more FUN in our lives to break up all the boring “have to-do’s” every day!

Studies have shown that just a few minutes of coloring is enough to bring your stress levels down.

“According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy is a mental health profession in which the process of making and creating artwork is used to “explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem.” So basically, it’s similar to good old therapy… Yet art therapy is not only about learning and improving yourself — it’s a means of personal expression, too.”

CNN.com

What you need is a little “me time” to focus your thoughts on something that doesn’t make your stress levels rise. It doesn’t have to take all afternoon…

Whenever you feel your brain in a fog and can’t seem to focus or you’re too stressed out to eat or take care of yoursef…. block off 10 minutes in your calendar and grab some colors… It could even be colored ink pens on your desk (these are my favorite pens!) Don’t think about anything else during that time. Just color.

Coloring is a great way to relax, unwind, and de-stress! Adult coloring pages are super popular! Remember what it's like to be a kid and finish a beautiful picture... and then go hang it up on your own refrigerator because, wow. YOU DID AWESOME on it!

(also, read this post for 5 things busy quilters should focus on) It has some really helpful information to keep your sanity in check too 😉

I promise you’ll thank me for it… even if it takes a little practice on your part to really focus on coloring and not let your other thoughts invade your 10 minutes. Try it out and let me know what you think, won’t you? I would love to hear from you.

Do you want to know another benefit of Adult Coloring Pages?

I also didn’t come anywhere close to making the huge giant mess that would potentially cause me even more stress in my life. — Yeah, hi quilting. I Love ya… you know I do! But boy can we make some messes together!

I’m sharing the pages that I created with you! You can download them in my shop! Click here to see the Quilty Inspired Adult Coloring Pages.

Coloring is a great way to relax, unwind, and de-stress! Adult coloring pages are super popular! Remember what it's like to be a kid and finish a beautiful picture... and then go hang it up on your own refrigerator because, wow. YOU DID AWESOME on it!
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