Create Your Own Stunning Animal Pictures Whether wild or domestic, animal coloring books are always great fun. Coloring is an activity which has long been associated with children and it has been accepted that, as we reach maturity, we put away our crayons and turn to more adult pursuits. However, in recent years we have increasingly witnessed this wisdom being overturned and coloring for adults has become a widespread and growing hobby. But why has coloring for adults become so popular? There are many reasons for the explosion in adult coloring, but here are just a few... Coloring Reduces Stress And Anxiety Psychiatrists have known for a long time that coloring relaxes the fear center of the brain and permits your mind to rest. In fact, Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, is known to have given his patients mandalas to color more than 100 years ago. In today's hectic world the stress reducing properties of coloring are probably more valuable than they have ever been. Coloring Trains Your Mind To Focus Remaining inside the lines as you color takes focus and, while you concentrate on this stress-free and relaxing activity, you can forget about your worries. Coloring is a mind exercise which allows you to put aside everything else for the time you spend coloring, and this is important in our increasingly busy world. Coloring Helps To Develop Fine Motor Skills And Vision Coloring forces the two sides of the brain to communicate and involves the use of logic (used to color forms) and creativity (as we mix and match colors). In turn, this brings those areas of the brain concerned with vision and fine motor skills into play, and helps in keeping these active and in developing them further. This is the aspect of coloring which is being increasingly seen as especially valuable for older individuals, as many professionals believe that it can delay, or possibly even prevent, the onset of dementia. Coloring Provides The Chance To Be Social Although you may feel that coloring would be a solo activity, its growing popularity is quickly turning it into a social one. Families, friends, co-workers and others are now getting together to enjoy something to eat and drink and the opportunity to socialize, through their shared interest in coloring. Without doubt, this is a great excuse for getting together, as coloring takes only a minimum of concentration and can easily be done in a group setting. Coloring Allows You To Be Yourself When it comes to coloring there are no rules and your coloring book is just that - your coloring book. If you mistakenly color the cat's back leg green because you mistook it for part of the grass, who cares? If you decide to make the sky yellow, what does it matter? You are allowed to be as creative as you want to be because this is your project, and yours alone. When it comes to picking colors don't forget that the British-based, but American-born, artist James Whistler once famously said, ""Mauve is just pink trying to be purple."" You may of course already be a fan of adult coloring, in which case you will already know and appreciate its value. Alternatively, this may be a new project for you and one that you are considering for any one of a number of different reasons. If this is something new for you then I encourage you to give it a try. It is no accident that so many people are fired up about the world of adult coloring, so join in and start enjoying the benefits for yourself today.