The concept for this book materialized after researching art therapy and the affect that coloring had on people with anxiety and depression. With the new popularity of the “coloring for adults” books, I was interested in creating something geared toward older teenagers and young adults; ages ranging from 15-22.
With statistics of teen depression, anxiety, and suicide rates being so high, I wanted to make something that could possibly help during bouts of depression and anxiety.
My original concept was to create a color therapy book that would help the user relax during a more trying day. However, after doing research on the new “color therapy”, I found that some therapists don’t consider coloring only as a form of therapy. To become actual “art therapy”, the person should be allowed to create as well. My solution to this new information was to include a sheet of vellum on one page of each spread so that creations; drawing, coloring, painting, or folding, among any other imaginative things, could also be added to the therapy process.
For this certain book, I created four spreads with the vellum covering and added positive messages such as “You Matter” and “Don’t Give Up.” I wanted to use hand drawn images, so that I, too, could create. Creating these pages became almost meditative in itself and I found myself turning to the drawings when I was getting too bogged down with my own work.
I want to continue these ideas and eventually expand this book to be a complete color and create therapy book.
