I have written about adult colouring books before but had never tried them myself. I have heard they are very relaxing and therapeutic, so have been keen to have a go. I find doing huge and complicated jigsaw puzzles very relaxing (it’s a good thing I have a huge dining room table I never use…) and maybe this will be the same. I am not visually creative, so this could be a way for me to create beautiful things without having to start from scratch.
One of my clients gave me this adult colouring book and some coloured pencils to try and it is on my list for the Easter week when things calm down a little. She and I bonded over hobbies during our first lesson.
I work training non-native speakers to talk about their specialist professional areas in English. Topics can be within quite complicated areas such as the different auction systems for European energy markets, or negotiation specifications for technical products such as defence materials and equipment.
Often during the first lesson or two, students are nervous and their English is rusty, so I tend to find things they are passionate about and then start them off talking about that. They forget all their inhibitions because they are speaking from their heart about their passions, and it is also a way to genuinely bond. After that they trust me and the environment to be a safe and kind one, where they can explore their language boundaries and not be afraid to make mistakes. I have learned so much about so many things over the years: fly-fishing, cooking, horse racing, cat shows, hiking, different cities, and new authors. And I have many close friends who were originally students. I think they all know from day one that I genuinely care.
What I like about this book is that it has options from very simple to rather complicated, and many different styles. I am going to have to start with a simple one and work upwards! I will keep you posted!
I have a range of gorgeous colouring books, which are barely used. I find I like the idea in theory much more than in practice, as I get all cross if I colour outside the lines, which kind of defeats the purpose of trying to de-stress me! I’ll be interested to hear how you get on …
Some of the images are incredible, and I like the ones with mystical and Celtic designs. I’ve never had a go myself but I can see the fascination. It’s come a long way since I coloured in Noddy! Whether I have is a different matter!
LOL, Noddy was banned for a time in South Africa because he used to share a bed with Big Ears!
He was banned here too! There’s a lot worse than Noddy I can tell you haha.