Adult Coloring

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When I first heard of “adult coloring,” I was intrigued because I remembered coloring as a fun activity from childhood. I liked doing it with others or by myself. My sister and I may even have had coloring contests. At the local craft store, I found tons of supplies. What did I want? I thought about crayons, but decided to go with colored pencils. I soon found out, however, that for my tastes, the colors were not bright enough. Again, I tried to engage my sister, but she brushed me off saying that she had passed the stage of coloring. I was not deterred, however, and went back to the store to see what else they might offer. Of course, they had books that were much more sophisticated, but what was more intriguing were the gel pens.

Ready for my new experience, I started coloring some mandalas. These designs gave me a sense of creating something more beautiful than just a simple picture. The designs came alive on the page, but even more so I became relaxed while doing them because I went into a sort of trance. Being totally absorbed in choosing colors, staying inside the lines and mixing and matching odd colors, I realized that the relaxation happened because the activity is totally and completely unrelated to my usual routine. I was definitely having fun, and yet I was not totally satisfied because in many ways, I was only doing a slight upgrade from childhood coloring.

Well, God never lets me down because almost immediately I met another Benedictine sister who told me about Bible journaling. No, it is not Bible study in the “old” way, but rather adding color and art to it! If you use the internet, you can find all sorts of possibilities until one suits you. However, I liked the idea of using an actual Bible, so I bought one and now am much more delighted when I have colored a design or picture on the extended page beside Psalm 139, while I whisper my favorite line from it: “Oh, Lord, you know me, and you love me.”

Now, I am meditating in a much more satisfying way.

Mary Jane Berger, OSB