Adult Colouring might be all the craze but it seems there might be more to it than just some mindfulness. Or, the mindfulness it brings forth opens up channels that currently block your creative endeavours.

I realised this when I finally gave in and decided to see what all the fuss was about. Yes, I work in publishing and, yes, Adult Colouring has been what all retailers are spending their precious dollars on, but there was a part of me that just wanted to resist this infantile craze. Go meditate if you need more peace. Or have a glass of wine. Or three.

Nevertheless, I got out my markers, a (admitting stunning) colouring book and set to work. I chose each a colour palette fore each section, mentally judged how well they were going to work with the other parts of the images I had coloured in my minds-eye. I had earphones in and was idly listening to the noise coming through there, but I will have to admit … a few hours passed without me so much as getting distracted.

While I didn’t find a full case of mindfulness, what this activity DID do was allow my brain to focus on something I actually do enjoy (who doesn’t love fussing with colours?) without taxing or stressing it in any way.

On top of that, there was this little bit of satisfaction at finishing the piece and seeing it in all its glory.

However, the final icing on this weird and odd cake was that I suddenly found this little crack of light opening up in my creative zone – a zone that had been well and truly blocked due to the day-to-day stresses of my work.

So, while I still doubt that anyone is finding peace, love and happiness whilst colouring in a picture – I do think that this might very well be one of the first stops in trying to get past a creative block.