Show of hands: Who colors?
I spent a couple of FANTASTIC days this past week at Austin Academy for Excellence, a magnet middle school in Garland, Texas. All praise–serious, high, enormous praise–for the librarian there, Janice Borland. She is every librarian I ever wish I had growing up! I’m secretly going back in time and being her pupil.
I met a lot of the teachers there, too, and huge praise for them, as well–smart, enthusiastic, innovative, grand.
But the kids: wonderful.
From Freya who made me a dog-shaped neck pillow for my plane trips; to Crystal my fellow Harry Potter-devotee; to Jacobe the non-stop reader; and Kristin my fellow dog-lover; and Linh and all the other smart, speedy writers in my workshop; to all the fun kids who came to the assemblies–I wish I could have hung out among all of them for a lot longer than one day. They were a big shot in the arm for me. They upped my own enthusiasm about twenty degrees.
One of my favorite moments from the talks I gave to each of the grades, 6th through 8th, was when I confessed that even though some other adults I know might think it’s weird, I’ve decided to go back to coloring. I realized a few weeks ago I’ve really been missing it in my life, and so I ordered myself the kind of coloring books I’ve been craving most: ones with horses, dogs, other animals, and lots of forest scenes so I have to color in every tree and leaf and flower.
And silly me, I thought this would be a big revelation to the kids. I thought by telling them that story, I might encourage them to go back to coloring if they’re like me, and don’t have a lot of drawing talent, but still want to feel artistic.
Instead, as I told that story, I saw all these smiles and nodding heads. And it made me think to ask: “Who here colors?”
Almost every hand shot up. In 6th grade, 7th, and 8th. And I realized that I was among my people.
I don’t know if every kid that age is still coloring. I’m pretty sure I’d given it up by junior high–just didn’t seem cool anymore. Doodling, sure–we all feel fine doodling at the sides of paper while we’re on the phone, or while we’re not really paying attention to a lecture–whatever.
But actual get-out-the-box-of-crayons-and-color-in-a-coloring-book? I think I gave that up once I left elementary school. And maybe I’ve been missing it ever since.
So just in case some of you out there aren’t among the current crowd of colorers, maybe this post will give you a little nudge. Because I’ll tell you what: ever since all my supplies arrived last week, and I can sit there and color any time I’m on a phone call with my best friend, or when I want a break from research, or when I’m stuck in whatever I’m writing–those are some relaxed, happy minutes. Shading in a butterfly wing in whatever color I want. Playing around with all the different greens for the grass and leaves and bushes. Defying all convention and science and making my sky lavender if that’s how I feel. Oh, the freedom!
So if someone wants to look over at what I’m doing and sneer, “You’re coloring?” I’m going to be all, “That’s right, and I love it. You should try it. It’s the best.”
And one last tip: Don’t settle for the coloring books they have at Target or Walgreens or the grocery store–I tried those places, and they just weren’t right. Go on-line to one of the bookstores and search out the coloring books that speak to you. There are books with costumes, nature scenes, animals, country cottages–all for about $4.00 a pop. Aren’t you worth that?
And buy yourself the full box of colors. Did you know they come in boxes of 96 now? This is no time to hold back. You might need each and every color.
As for me, I’m off to go color in a Dalmatian. Think I might make him blue.
Sounds like a lot of fun! I have to say I’ve never given up colouring for good.. my Mom loves colouring so we’ve always had colouring books around, and a few years ago my best friend and I (we would’ve been about 22 and 24) coloured in a Harry Potter colouring book together. But now I seriously want to go pick out a really super cool themed colouring book like the ones you mentioned. =)
Rosie Flo’s Travel Coloring Book put out by Chronicle Books in 2006 is a really cute book of color-and-send postcards. I’m always on the lookout for good coloring books, and I’m also a paper-and-pen-and-stationery whore. And don’t get me started on colored pencils.
I will never give it up.
Tanita, this is just one of the many reasons you are fabulous. I love your comment so much I’m eating it.
Ashley, now I want to go find the Harry Potter coloring book! I never even thought of that!
I print out pictures of faeries to colour! I don’t mean tinkerbell and all that stuff. I mean real faeries, as in goblins and trolls and fire salamanders that live in lava pits! I’ll keep my eyes peeled for 96 packs of colours. Colour on, Robin Brande!
Thanks for coming to Austin and challenging us to think (and live) outside the box. I will be ordering some coloring books shortly.
Robin, what a joy to read your e-mail about Austin Academy and coloring. You are right; our kids are remarkably wonderful as are you. We enjoyed every minute of your two days with us. Smart, weird, and original have been the “go to” words when we have talked about your visit. All over the school, I see kids carrying your books, reading them at every chance. Hopefully, your presentations will encourage more of our kids to take their writing seriously and help more to publish. Sincerely, Mary Nelson (teacher at Austin).
This is perhaps the biggest reason why I’ve been rubber stamping for over 30 years. The stamp images give me the opportunity to, in effect, create my own coloring books, while opening avenues for additional creativity via paper crafting and adding other embellishments. I make all of my own greeting cards and have a ball while doing so.
Freya, what a great idea! Hey, if you like faeries, I hope you’ve read Laini Taylor’s FAERIES OF DREAMDARK series. Oh, my gosh, you’ll love it!!!
Sherry, I’m so happy to hear about the coloring books! I hope those are for you, and not just for the school!
Mary, thanks for this really nice update about the kids. Every part of it makes me happy!
Colleen, thanks for reminding me about rubber stamping! I haven’t done that in decades! So glad to hear you’re still using that art! Hope others will be inspired by reading your comment.
At the risk of sounding braggy, I have a deluxe-sized Harry Potter coloring book. Just saying.
We have coloring sheets and crayons available in the Children’s Room at the library at all times, and they are very frequently used by teenagers and adults–even my fellow employees. The best is when I see a kid sitting on the couch reading while his or her parent is sitting at one of our teeny tiny tables coloring in a picture of Lilly from Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse or whatever we have out that day.
Adrienne, I’m trying not to feel jealous about the HP deluxe. I want you to be happy. So I’m just going to be *pain* happy for you.
Anyway! Love the always-available coloring supplies. This must be why your library is so beloved. Keep it up!!!
I love to color but it doesn’t agree with me because I lose all the colors in about a month except for crayons, but then I break them all the time. You can see my problems, but I still do it. I just want to find a coloring book that shows a big red button, a family trapped in a cage, a turtle guarding the same cage, and a polar bear walking in during the same picture. Please feel free to email me if you ever find this coloring book or page.
P.S. I would probably be in a Harry Potter book during the 19 years later if I could have a choice of book if I took that question how you meant it.
P.P.S. The people at Austin Academy really enjoyed your presence and the stories you had to share with us.
Um, Teresa, I think you’re going to have to find someone to draw those specific elements in a coloring book for you. Good luck in your quest . . .
I’m so excited that you liked coming to Austin! (: I loved your assembly so much, it gave me so much previously unknown information that made me laugh my head off. My little sister loves to color, and it’s fun TRYING to help her color neater. I hope to get to see you again one day!
~Linh
P.S. I saw the dog pillow/scarf that Freya made you! It’s really cute! I’m sure you were very comfortable on your trip home. (:
Linh, I’m so glad you’re helping your little sister color! I hope that means you get to do it, too. And yes, Freya’s pillow was so comfy! My real dogs seemed suspicious about it when I brought it home, but they’re adjusting.
I have crayons and coloring books for my high school students. There are days when just taking time to chat and color makes a difference in life.
My kids and I thoroughly enjoyed your visit, so much so that they want you to come back. Any time you feel like it come back and silently slip into a seat in the back row. You will be welcome and don’t forget to bring you colors!
Kristen, I’m so happy you do this with your high school students! You’re right–it is very calming. What a great classroom setting you’ve created!
Deb, that is SOOO nice. Thank you! Your whole school was so welcoming to me, and I’d love to come back every year!
Hey Robin. I was that girl at Austin Academy who loved Harry Potter. Thank you for coming. I was even more inspired by you, and I have started to write short stories. I forgot how fun it was. And about the coloring, I want to, but my mom won’t get me a coloring book. She gets mad if I ask.
Robin, you were awesome that day you came to Austin! I have NEVER had an author presentation like that. Youre a really cool person! I was in the workshop, and it was great! Mrs. Borland’s been on about how kind your blog was, that you talked about us, but i never really went on to read. But i was like, its saturday, why not? You really crack me up! Youre inspirational i love that, you are so open about yourself!You dont care about what others think. The world needs that influence with all this bullying right now! Crystal, go print some horses. Your mom thinks your getting too immature. Keep that brain in gear, all right? And go color your face off!
PS i love all art. hope youre nudging others to do what theyre feeling like doing and not what the current popularity thinks. Go color people!
(advice robin was giving us: be weird. dont worry about what people think)
it doesnt get any uncooler than to be peer-pressured voluntarily. keep writing, robin! ill forgive you and that mean paralell cliffhanger after book 2 is in my hands!!
Robin,
I asked our kids at Austin Academy this week who had read Doggirl to rate it on a scale of 1-10 (10 best) to tell me how they liked it. The average of their responses was 20. When I asked the same question to the the kids who had read Into the Parallel (many of whom were 6th graders). the response was the same. They loved you and they love your books. We can’t wait for Caught in the Parallel to come out.
As for the coloring fad, you have inspired me in a little bit of a differenct way. When I was a kid, I loved to paint by numbers. Not too long ago I was shopping in an antique store where they had some for sale. I almost bought one but thought that might be a little silly for a grown up to do. I’ve changed my mind and am now in search of my very own paint by number set.
I go away camping for a few days, and here are all these comments!
First of all, Janice, I am SOOOO happy that you’re going to do paint by numbers again! What a total treat for yourself! And thanks for the reminder–I might want to dabble in that again, too!
And thanks so much for all your kind words about Doggirl and Into the Parallel, and what the kids had to say about those. You’ve given me such a huge smile tonight!
Tahrima, thank you for your enthusiastic comments! And I love your advice to Crystal–Crystal, did you read that? Find pictures on line and print them out, just like Freya does with her faerie pictures. Love that idea!
Crystal, besides taking Tahrima’s advice (see above), also accept this second high-five from me (the first one being in that workshop) for being my fellow Harry Potter fan. Glad you feel inspired to write short stories–you and everyone else in that workshop definitely have it in you!
Are you kidding? What did you expect the rating to be? Who doesn’t love that kind of writing? That’s a 50, Robin. Don’t be so modest.
Robin, this post is beautiful, especially all the comments that come after it. One of these days I’m going to be sitting in the audience hearing your talks that set people’s creativity on fire. You’ve certainly done that for me through your posts here, your emails, and your writing. (Finally reading Into the Parallel now…on my brand-new Kindle!)
And I love to color, especially when my little girls and I sprawl on the floor and color together! I think I’m going to look for those specialty books you mentioned. They would make great Christmas gifts for the three of us.
Tahrima, thank you.
Kelley, thank you for your kind words! And I have to agree–the comments on this post are great! Love the image of you sprawling on the floor and coloring with your girls. Yes to buying all three of you some fun coloring books for Christmas! (And maybe your husband will buy you what my husband just did: the Tower of Crayons, with 150 crayons on a kind of lazy-Susan apparatus. You can see all the colors through the clear plastic, and they’re all immediately at hand. Now that’s my kind of present!)
The Tower of Crayons?! I must see this.
wow. this thing has a lot of comments.
it actually might have the most of them all. that’s probably just Austin people
and stuff, but i just wanted to check on your post.yes i’m an Austin people.
anyway, with school i don’t get the time, but cool. im waiting for the second book to come out!! (yeah, i have time for that)
I’m trying to get the second book out before you all go on winter break! We’ll see . . .
I’m so glad that you enjoyed Austin! The writer’s workshop was amazing and a LOT more fun than Gordon Korman’s workshop; all he had us do was write in silence. Blech. I love the Parallelogram series and Doggirl was breathtaking. Now, time to go color!!
Robin, just a quick question, I was curious as to whether or not you’re going to write a sequel for Doggirl. I really loved it and I can kind of relate to Riley. Sometimes I feel like “That girl with all the books….” but anyhow, your writing is amazing and you should never EVER stop!!
Rebecca, thanks for writing to me! I’m so happy you loved DOGGIRL and PARALLELOGRAM! By the way, I just today stuck into the mail three copies of Book 2 of PARALLELOGRAM for your school’s library. So make sure you’re on the checkout list!
As for DOGGIRL, I don’t have any plans to write a sequel right now, but I have thought about what more I’d like to say about Riley and Nate and dogs, so who knows? Maybe after I finish the current series and then the one after that.
Again, Rebecca, thanks for your comments! Really put a smile on my face!