In March 2020, during the first week of staying home due to Covid-19, I decided to draw a coloring page for my kids. I sat down with a sharpie and a piece of white printer paper, and drew a visual collage of shapes, bugs, hidden words, and playful elements of nature that I thought would be enjoyable for them to color.
A few weeks later, I took a piece of poster board and drew another one, this time with fragmented sections that each featured their own design, theme, scene, or pattern.
What I was surprised to find was that I loved the process of drawing these pages. It connected with a part of my brain that, at the time, was feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and unfocused. Over the next two years, I drew many more coloring pages, most of which you can get in a digital bundle right here.
When I was diagnosed with ADHD in January 2022, I began thinking a bit differently about these coloring pages.
As we grow out of childhood into adolescence and adulthood, society begins telling us that our creativity, and practically everything we do, has to be a certain way. The idea of “perfection” (which doesn’t actually exist) often paralyzes us before we even get started.
Even coloring pages might bring a feeling of pressure over enjoyment.
When I think of ADHD, and why (or why not) someone might enjoy (or not) coloring, I began thinking about the kinds of coloring pages that would allow someone to let go and be in the moment, and focus in on what they’re doing, and how it makes them feel.
I began drawing pages that had more patterns, free flowing forms and repetitive shapes, which could help you enjoy the physicality of coloring, without getting hung up on “making it look like something”, or color choice, or technique.
A lot of “Adult Coloring Books” are full of teeny, tiny designs that take a long time to fill in and finish, which might be frustrating or cause you to lose focus. So, I added in pages that you can move through rather quickly and get that hit of dopamine you get when you actually finish something.
I’m not a doctor or a scientist, so I cannot say that these pages are proven to help with ADHD and offer any sort of calming, focus, or therapeutic benefits.
However, they might! There are many studied benefits to coloring:
Helps release endorphins, increase comfort and relaxation
Soothe your eyes and brain from screen activity
Stimulate your creative brain and increase confidence
Helps to improve motor skills
Activate the playful inner child
Engage fully in the moment, helps lessen distractions and worry
Everyone is different. Even those of us with ADHD find different things helpful (or not). My hope is that you enjoy an assortment of pages to stimulate your creativity, help you relax or focus, and tap into your inner child with ease.
Thanks for visiting! I hope you enjoy seeing my art, learning about my process, and feel inspired to explore your own creativity!
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Shannon Sorensen is a self-taught contemporary abstract painter based in Newington, Connecticut, specializing in vibrant, expressive pieces that evoke feelings of places you have seen in person or in dreams, inspired by music, poetry, memories and meditations. Fine art prints of select works are available through her art store, and shop other printed home goods and accessories at Pixels.com.
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