by Pat Gray, MiCAFE Community Partner Liaison

From afar, I have been admiring Ms. Spencer, 84 of her mental stability. Recently, I asked her how she keeps mentally sharp. She stated last year she was watching a TV home shopping show and they were advertising Adult Coloring for seniors. She states it struck her interest. Subsequently, she ordered the Adult Coloring Book and the rest was history. She states she truly enjoys coloring to the extent she colors every day. She states coloring is a “stress reliever, keeps her mind active and keeps her busy” and she has encouraged her family and friends to start coloring.

Adult coloring has become the new rage. Although the first commercially successful adult coloring books were published in 2012 and 2013, the once-niche hobby has now grown into a full- grown trend. Everyone from researchers at John Hopkins University to editors of Yoga Journal suggest coloring as an alternative to meditation. According to the American Art Therapy Association, coloring and art therapy aren’t quite the same thing. However, researchers and art therapists have stated “[c]oloring definitely has therapeutic potential to reduce anxiety, create focus or bring (about) mindfulness. Also, it is a means of personal expression.” Ms. Spencer’s Adult Coloring artwork is displayed at the Elder Law of Michigan Detroit office.