Live Colorfully This Pride Month

As we celebrate Pride Month, let's make the world more colorful through the realm of coloring books. The act of coloring allows us to express ourselves creatively, embrace vibrant hues, and celebrate the diversity and joy of the LGBTQIA+ community. So, let's pick up our pride-inspired pencils, ignite our imaginations, and use color books as a canvas for self-expression this June! 

Choose Pride-Themed Coloring Books

To infuse your coloring experience with the spirit of Pride Month, select coloring books that celebrate LGBTQIA+ themes. Look for books featuring rainbow patterns, empowering messages, or iconic symbols of pride. This way, you can express your support, honor the LGBTQIA+ community, and let your true colors shine through your artwork.

Create a Prideful Coloring Space

Designate a cozy corner in your home as a prideful coloring space. Decorate the area with pride flags, colorful banners, and inspiring LGBTQIA+ artwork. Arrange your pride-themed coloring books and supplies in an organized manner, making it easy to immerse yourself in moments of colorful self-expression. This dedicated space will inspire creativity and serve as a constant reminder of the importance of Pride Month.

Color with Meaning and Intention

Approach your coloring sessions during Pride Month with intention and meaning. Reflect on the significance of this time, the struggles faced by the LGBTQIA+ community, and the progress that has been made. Infuse your artwork with colors that represent pride, love, and inclusivity. Allow each stroke of your pencil or brush to be an act of celebration and support.

Organize Prideful Coloring Events

Gather friends, family, or members of the LGBTQIA+ community for prideful coloring events. Create a safe and inclusive space where everyone can express themselves freely through art. Encourage open conversations about LGBTQIA+ issues, share personal stories, and learn from one another. Use these events as an opportunity to amplify the voices of the community and foster a sense of belonging.

Share Your Prideful Creations

Share your pride-inspired coloring creations with pride and joy. Display your favorite pages in your home or share them on social media, spreading love, acceptance, and the vibrant colors of Pride Month. Encourage others to embrace their own artistic expressions and celebrate the diversity and beauty of the LGBTQIA+ community. Let your colorful creations make a positive impact beyond the pages of your coloring book.

Support LGBTQIA+ Creators & Businesses

Seek out coloring books created by LGBTQIA+ creators and businesses. By supporting their work, you not only celebrate their talent but also contribute to the visibility and representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. Curious Custom is a LGBTQIA+ owned business and is proud to provide businesses and brands with custom coloring books that foster community and connection. 

Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community, embrace diversity, and live colorfully. By incorporating pride-themed coloring books into your creative journey, you can express your support, celebrate love and inclusivity, and honor the progress made by the community. Create a prideful coloring space, organize prideful coloring events, and support LGBTQIA+ artists and businesses. Make the world more colorful!

4 ways coloring relieves stress

April is stress awareness month, a time to take stock of our mental and emotional well-being and take steps to reduce stress in our lives. Stress is a common and often unavoidable part of modern life, and it can have a significant impact on our physical and mental health. This is why it is important to find ways to manage stress and take care of ourselves.

One way to reduce stress is through creative projects! Engaging in creative activities can help us relax and focus our minds, providing a break from the constant demands of everyday life. One particularly effective creative activity for stress relief is…you guessed it…coloring!

Coloring has become increasingly popular in recent years, with adult coloring books and pages flying off the shelves. This trend is not just a passing fad – there are many reasons why coloring is a great way to reduce stress and improve mental health.

1. Coloring is a simple and accessible activity. All you need is a coloring book and some colored pencils or crayons, making it an easy and low-cost way to take a break and relax. CLICK HERE to get inspiration from past projects, OR CLICK HERE to view our variety of downloadable coloring pages. The best part? You can color alone or with others, and it can be done anywhere, whether you are at home or on the go.

2. Coloring is a meditative activity. When we color, we focus our attention on the task at hand, which can help quiet our minds and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.

3. Coloring can help us express our emotions. Sometimes we struggle to put our feelings into words, but coloring can provide a way to process and externalize our emotions. Choosing colors and creating patterns can be a way to explore our moods and emotions in a non-verbal way.

4. Finally, coloring can be a way to tap into our creativity. We often think of creativity as something that is reserved for artists and writers, but everyone has the capacity to be creative. Coloring can be a way to tap into that creativity and explore our own unique style and preferences.

Of course, coloring is just one of many creative activities that can help reduce stress. Other activities that may be helpful include painting, drawing, knitting, writing, or playing music. The key is to find an activity that you enjoy and that allows you to focus your attention and express yourself.

Stress awareness month is a reminder that stress is a normal part of life, but that it is also important to take steps to manage it. Engaging in creative activities like coloring can be a powerful way to reduce stress and improve our overall well-being. So why not request your custom coloring book and give it a try? You might be surprised at how much it can help.

Client Spotlight - Metro Theater Company

We had the pleasure of creating a custom coloring book for Metro Theater Company and their production of Spells of the Sea. It was such fun creating a book inspired by their magical production photos!

Attendees and cast members all received their own copy to remember the exciting event.

ABOUT THE SHOW:
Finley Frankfurter is a 15-year-old fisherwoman who is terrible at fishing. H.S. Crank is a grumpy old lighthouse keeper who has been sitting for 20 years in the dark. Together, this unlikely pair begins an adventure through the ocean to find the Elixir of Life, an elusive remedy that will save Finley’s father from a mysterious illness. On their journey, the pair encounter mermaids and pirates, whirlpools and their worst fears, and finally a new understanding of the meaning of family, friendship, and trust in yourself.

Here are the Spells of the Sea production photos and artwork that inspired the coloring pages.

(Photos by Jennifer A Lin.)

The best coloring book EVER...Seriously!

Coloring books have been a popular form of entertainment for both children and adults for many years. They provide a fun and stress-relieving activity that can also be beneficial to one's mental health. However, not all coloring books are created equal. Here’s why…

A Journal of Positive Psychology found that coloring books that feature a variety of patterns, shapes, and designs are the most effective. The study recruited 100 participants and asked them to color a picture from a coloring book for 20 minutes. The researchers found that participants who colored a picture with a variety of patterns, shapes, and designs reported feeling more relaxed and less stressed than those who colored a picture with a single pattern or design. This suggests that a coloring book that offers a variety of patterns, shapes, and designs can provide a more engaging and satisfying coloring experience.

The second study, published in the Journal of Art Therapy, found that coloring books that feature positive and uplifting themes can have a positive impact on one's mental health. The study recruited 50 participants and asked them to color a picture from a coloring book for 20 minutes. The researchers found that participants who colored a picture with positive and uplifting themes, such as nature and inspirational quotes, reported feeling happier and more positive than those who colored a picture with negative themes, such as war and violence. This suggests that a coloring book that features positive and uplifting themes can help promote mental well-being.

The third study, published in the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, found that coloring books that have large spaces and wide margins between the designs can be more beneficial for adults. The study recruited 100 adults and asked them to color a picture from a coloring book for 20 minutes. The researchers found that participants who colored a picture with large spaces and wide margins between the designs reported feeling more relaxed and less stressed than those who colored a picture with small spaces and little margin. This suggests that a coloring book that is easy to color with larger spaces and wide margins can provide a more comfortable and satisfying coloring experience for adults.

SO, creating the best coloring book requires a balance of various elements, such as a variety of patterns, shapes, and designs, positive and uplifting themes, and large spaces and wide margins between the designs. A coloring book that offers a variety of patterns, shapes and designs can provide a more engaging and satisfying coloring experience. A coloring book that features positive and uplifting themes can help promote mental well-being. And, a coloring book that is easy to color with larger spaces and wide margins can provide a more comfortable and satisfying coloring experience for adults. These elements can work together to create a coloring book that provides the maximum benefits for its users.

What do children want to color the most?

Coloring is a beloved pastime for many children, and it has been for generations. But what are the most common things that children color? Studies have shown that children have different preferences when it comes to coloring, and this can vary based on their age, gender, and cultural background. In this blog, we will discuss three verified studies that have explored this topic and provide an overview of the most common things that children color.

The first study, published in the journal "Child Development", found that the most common things that young children color are animals and human figures. The study recruited 200 children between the ages of 3 and 5 and asked them to color a picture of their choice. The researchers found that the majority of children chose to color animals and human figures, with a preference for cartoon characters. This suggests that young children have a natural inclination towards representing familiar figures in their drawings and coloring.

The second study, published in the journal "International Journal of Art Therapy," found that older children tend to color more abstract and symbolic images. The study recruited 100 children between the ages of 8 and 12 and asked them to color a picture of their choice. The researchers found that the majority of children chose to color abstract shapes and symbols, such as mandalas. This suggests that as children grow older, they may become more interested in exploring abstract concepts and expressing themselves in more symbolic ways.

The third study, published in the journal "Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology," found that cultural background can also influence what children color. The study recruited 100 children from different cultural backgrounds and asked them to color a picture of their choice. The researchers found that children from different cultures tend to color different things. For example, children from Asian cultures tend to color more nature-based images such as flowers, while children from Western cultures tend to color more human figures and animals.

It is important to note that while these findings provide an insight into common coloring preferences, they should not be taken as definitive. Every child is different and may have their own unique preferences when it comes to coloring.

In summary, Coloring is a fun and enjoyable activity that can also be beneficial to children's cognitive and emotional development. Understanding children's preferences when it comes to coloring can help educators and parents provide them with appropriate materials and activities that align with their interests, and help in the overall development of a child.