Mandala

Upon entering DRIP's Local Art Night I was surprised to discover a coloring station with a Mandala coloring book. I've been a huge fan of coloring books well into my adult years and I immediately fell in love. I began to color one right on the spot but I also tore out three more pages to work on at home. 

Although I don't normally prefer to work with markers I felt that their vibrant colors would work well with this project. I picked some up and spent hours just coloring. 

The act of coloring is freeing. I had spent the last few months having to move unexpectedly, recover from kidney stones, and argue with three separate companies over unfair charges and refunds. Every little thing was a fight. I could never just come home and relax. I was in constant motion, always battling. There were no breaks. Everything was painful. I spent so much time begging for help and getting so little that I just couldn't bring myself to ask anymore. 

This was the first time I had sat down to relax in months. 

I spent hours putting color to paper. It was a release. It was the first thing I had laid my hands on in months that I could start and finish in my complete control. It could only turn out well. I could work on something and have a finished product that was beautiful. I was making something for fun, not just trying to survive. No doubt it helped me through a dark time. 

I'm glad I have held on to my love of coloring. It is hard to put into words just what it did for my soul.