It all started one afternoon when my daugther insisted that I colour with her. I grabbed a crayon and settled in beside her to colour in her beloved colouring book. There was something about the feel of that crayon in my hand, the smell of the waxy colouring goodness that made me smile. I found myself enjoying the moment... not because I was sharing a quiet moment of artistic expression with my daughter (although that was fun too), but rather I found myself lost in the joy of colouring! Lost in the delight of choosing a colour, the challenge of staying in between the lines, and the joy of watching my creation come to live on the page.
Weeks later I found myself thinking about that afternoon of colouring and a silly notion entered my head. My birthday was coming up and despite a few new items of clothing I needed, the only thing I found myself longing for in the way of birthday gifts was a box of crayons and a colouring book. All my own.
And so my new hobby began. Armed with a box of 64 glorious colours from Crayola, and a Mini Mouse colouring book (both of which I might add I have hidden from the child), you can find me tucked in my bed late at night watching TV and colouring. Each night I colour a new page, and as I colour I feel the weight of the day fall away. The simple, quiet, stillness of crayons and paper are my new hobby, and a surprising way to let go of the adult worries of the day and embrace the carefree days of my youth. It is glorious.
My name is Shari. I'm 38. And in my spare time I colour. Unashamed.
