Color me Calm and Carry On...

Did you know that colored pencils can sell for up to $179 per case? And did you know that people actually buy them? They do. I know this because I asked the store clerk at Blicks Art Supply shop. And the people that buy the $179 pencils appear to be sane. I know this because I asked that too. Sane individuals (or those who hide their crazy well) purchase a colored pencil for over $10 a piece because the package says they’re high-quality and that they’re made in England, and well let’s face it that kind of ups the cool factor. “I only buy designer colored pencils from England” sounds much more posh than “I got my Crayola color pack at Target.” 

I like to be cool. I love quality items. I’m sane. But the hell if I’m going to buy colored pencils at that cost. I mean, if crazy and ridiculous had a baby it would come in the form of a $14 colored pencil in Ruby Begonia. No?

I’ve been learning a lot lately since I decided that there was an inner artist in me that needed to be recognized. Her name is Savannah (aka multiple personality number 3.) She’s quiet. Mysterious. Subdued. Curious. Sweet. Innocent. Child-like. She doesn’t like high heels or loud chatter and resides in the introverted corner of my mind peeking out every so often to be sure she’s not forgotten and then slips away just as quietly. Like a soft sheet being pulled over my head.  She is the calm to my storm. My little tap on the shoulder reminding me that age is timeless and sometimes I need to embrace the 10-year old inside of me because she never really left.

She likes to shut out the noise, put a bubble around me and say “Shhhhh” to the world . Breathe. Exhale the negative vibes that this earth is suffocating us with. Shut out the violence, the terror and the injustice and just be one with the mind. Focus on one thing. Breathe steady. Feel peace in my heart. Savannah is my inner artist who understands the benefits of a calm meditative state. Peace, serenity, love ....shit like that.

I planned to buy an adult coloring book after I read an article about their multiple benefits for calming the active mind but my co-worker beat me to it and bought me one. Yay! Random Christmas presents are the best. Or perhaps he too believed I needed to calm the hell down and color something to relieve the stress.  Either way, I accepted it with the glee of a 10 year old.

I wanted to get some fancy pencils to go with it hence my trip to the art store. I got a beautiful set of 24 and did not blow over 100 dollars on them either because I’m not crazy and my other 2 personalities were thinking of all the shoes they could buy with that money. Anyhow, I colored my little heart away.  Had my honey matcha tea to sip on, the sounds of waves crashing in the background and heated slippers on my feet. I found my Zen. Savannah was happy.

I plan to continue doing this. I like this introverted side. It feels hopeful. Proud. Real.

However, if I had bought the $179 pencils I would have been coloring so carefully to not break a tip and judging every stroke wondering if it indeed was that wonderful of a color pencil to be worth the money and trying my damndest to make the picture perfect and not go out of the lines so that my art would look like it was worthy of the hundred dollar lines of colors splayed around the angles. Good-bye peace and hello stress. There would be no calm to my artistry; it would be a tension grip on an expensive stick of wood mixed with tight muscles and a pair of shoes taunting me in the back of my mind.

Instead I have my cute little not-too-expensive but not-too-cheap pencils that work just fine and a nice little coloring book that has no agenda or expiration date. It will be there when I need it and sit peacefully when I don’t. It’s therapy in the form of bright shades of color mixed with effortless magic. It’s trans-formative to the mind and nurturing for the soul.

Go buy one. You won't regret it.

We can all calm the hell down together. Yay!

And if you decide to get the designer high quality fabricated -in -England colored pencils don’t tell me about it. I refuse to believe anyone I know is that crazy.