I have always been a creative person; since I was a child, I am always looking for anything to do with arts and crafts. I have done embroidery, knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, sewing clothes, quilting, paper crafts, jewelry making, painting, drawing, and the list goes on and on…if it is creative, I have probably done it at least once. Some of it I was good at, some of it not so much, some I loved doing, some not at all.
But, the last four years, I have done nothing, zip, zilch, zero, nada and I was totally miserable. I just haven’t had time to do ANYTHING imaginative! I could barely keep up with basic life functions; working, picking up after my mother and catering to all her other needs, taking care of the dogs, spend time with my husband, etc. You get the idea; I am sure all of you have gone through or are going through the same thing. By the time all the tasks needed for the day were complete, I was too exhausted, mentally, and physically, to do anything else but veg-out on the sofa or go to bed.
I couldn’t do my any of my favorite crafts…
- Cross-stitch – no way, the holes were too small for me to focus, and my brain wouldn’t allow me to comprehend the pattern.
- Quilting – I don’t think so, after a long day, my back hurt so much there was no way I would be able to sit at a sewing machine for a few hours. Plus, my hands shook so much that I couldn’t line up the fabrics to sew together.
- Crochet – even this I couldn’t do, as easy as it is, I couldn’t concentrate enough to count the stitches and would either drop or add one somewhere along the line and would have to pull it all out and re-start. How frustrating!
I knew I had to do something for myself to be creative and reduce my stress. I thought about drawing. I am not too bad at it and all you need it paper and pencil. So, I gave it a try. It was o.k., but I didn’t actually know enough to portray exactly what I was seeing in life or in my head, I didn’t like how the graphite smeared, and it really wasn’t as fulfilling as I thought it would be. Next???
O.K., I thought you can’t get any more basic than coloring in a color book with colored pencils. Back when the adult coloring craze first started a few years ago, I did buy a couple of tins of SpectrumNoir colored pencils off a home shopping network and a coloring book from somewhere that I don’t remember, and they have been sitting in my craft room ever since. Time to pull them out and give that a try.
During one long weekend at our beach house, I gave coloring a go and really liked it! It was rewarding to pick the colors out I wanted for the page and blending the different colors together and I found myself beginning to relax. The problem was that once we got back home and back into the crazy routine, I never had time to color again and ended back where I started from, not being creative and stressed out.
The next time we were at the beach house, we went to visit Fort Morgan in Alabama and in the gift shop I saw coloring book with Civil War women’s and men’s fashion. I always loved vintage clothing from all eras, so I thought I would give coloring another try. I had fun coloring again and started to relax while we were at the beach, but as before, when we arrived back home, the crazy life took over.
Something has got to change!!
I really like coloring; the bright colored pencils, the creativity, and especially the way it took my mind off my crappy everyday problems. I just had to put my foot down and designated time to do what I really wanted to do. So, I started watching YouTube videos to get ideas and tips to improve my coloring. And then I saw this…
Cue the trumpeting Angel and bright halo of light!
Now, this is what I want to do!!
But I know I have a long journey of learning techniques and lots and lots of practice.
Then I had the idea that maybe there are a lot of you out there that are in the same situation of needing a creative outlet and not knowing where to begin. Why not bring you along on my journey?!? You will keep me motivated to learn new processes and techniques and you can learn right along with me.
The best place to begin is with the basics but, there are so many YouTube videos out there, with different options and levels of techniques. So, where do you start?
One of my absolute favorite You-tuber is Sarah Renae Clark. Her videos and tutorials are not only informative, but are also extremely fun, they make you laugh and forget about your troubles for a while. Sarah also got her start creating coloring books during a difficult and stressful time in her life, which she outlines on her website, so I can really identify where she has been and seeing how she has successfully overcome her issues, gives me hope.
I will be referring to Sarah’s videos and products quite a bit throughout my journey, but if you can’t wait you can visit her website and online store.
For now, since we are just getting started, check out her video How to Use Colored Pencils in Adult Coloring Pages – 10 Tips for Beginners.
Another one of my ultimate go-to You-tuber is Pamela’s Passion for Pencils. Her tutorials are geared more towards adult coloring books but are useful for any beginning colorist. She explains topics clearly and shows you how to master so many different techniques. Plus, she says “ya’ll”, so she is first-rate in my opinion!
Pamela additionally has an Etsy store where she provides pre-made color swatch charts and a Color Combination & Blending Workbook. All of which I will cover in upcoming posts.
I will also be discussing Pamela’s videos and products as we cover different topics, but if you want to get a head start, you can visit her YouTube channel, especially her Adult Coloring for Beginners playlist:. But here is the video I found most helpful as I was getting started: MY TOP 5 COLORED PENCIL TIPS for ADULT COLORISTS.
Then check out my new YouTube Channel
Coping Creatively
The very first video is linked below. The way I color is a little different than you might see on current YouTube colorist videos, since I don’t like to color in a studio or at a desk; it is not relaxing enough and feels more like a job. I really enjoy taking my coloring on the go, out at the pool or on the back deck in nice weather; on the sofa or dining table when it is too hot or rainy for outside; I have even been known to take my coloring to the local brewery!
Head on over to YouTube to watch the video, then stop by here on Friday for FunDay! and the very first free downloadable coloring page with links to my video tutorials.
See you in a few days and until then hang in there! ~Kaye
(Any products I mention on this website or in my videos can be found on my Goodies page. Head on over at take a look at all of the cool products I use and recommend!)