For over 5 years, I’ve colored every day. Maybe for several hours, more often just for five minutes. In my new book, Coloring is Good for You, I share my top 13 answers to the question – “Why color?” I know why I color, and I hope this book inspires you to pick up a pencil and start coloring too.Â
Coloring is Good for You: 13 Reasons to Color Daily shares why I believe everyone can benefit from as little as 5 minutes coloring each day. It includes practical tips to start a personal coloring practice and activities to help get you started.
From exercising creativity to reducing decision fatigue, these thirteen reasons to color daily include ways to put the ideas into practice so you can try it in your own life. These are practices I use in my own life based on personal experience and research into habits for health and happiness.
What I’m sharing is far from rocket science. It is simply a perspective on what many people have already been saying and most of us already know to be true. Making art is good for us. It helps us lead happier, more fulfilled lives. It comes in many forms, and coloring is one of the most accessible and affordable options to fit into your day.
If you’ve been thinking of coloring, already love to color, or simply are curious about another way to improve the quality of your day, this book is for you.
Front and back cover of the book.
The book is a lightweight pocket guide style paperback. Just 5×8 in size and only 45 pages long, it is designed as an inviting read with actionable insights.
Excerpt from book’s introduction.
While you may know that making art is a great way to relax and de-stress, it can still be a challenge to find the time or place to do it.
Research shows that being creative can:
- improve mental health,
- enhance problem solving skills,
- promoting feelings of calmness,
- lead to positive life changes.
The following are my 13 reasons to carve out time each day to pick up my pencils (pens or crayons) and put color onto paper.
Excerpt from book’s first chapter.
#1: A Habit of Relaxation
#2: Understanding Color
#3: Choosing to Feel Happy
#4: Expressing Gratitude
#5: Develop Creativity
#6: Exercise Imagination
#7: Self Expression
#8: Clarity + Focus
#9: Decision Making
#10: Brain Training
#11: Screen Breaks
#12: For Your Pet
#13: To Simply Have Fun
 This book is designed as a tool for parents, educators, artists, and individuals of all ages and skill levels who are looking to tap into the many known benefits of coloring. To relax. To be creative. To simply be present, playing with art in your everyday life.Â
My reasons for coloring, really are quite simple – I want to make art and feel good, every single day.
The question is, why do you want to color?
About the Author
Mackenzie Bakewell, or ZieBee, is the lead author and artist here at ZieBee Media. Mackenzie is a travel photographer, illustrator, and professional book maker. She specializes in helping people turn their ideas into reality, tapping into her background in web design, publishing, and portrait photography. She is passionate about the use of coloring as a tool for health and happiness.
