I can think back to a simpler time; a time when all I ever needed to keep calm was a box of apple juice and a nameless, worn colouring book. In case you’re wondering, apple juice and I are doing just fine. Regrettably however, colouring and I had a falling out back in ’04 and not a day goes by where I don’t reminisce about all the colouring I did outside the lines.
I’m ready to rekindle my love affair with colouring and my timing couldn’t be any better. Rebecca Lapple of Brampton is partnering up with talented local artists and has been working on a colouring book for the purposes of relaxation and stress relief. Sales will benefit in-patients in the William Osler Health system.
Stress: sadly, that choice of whether to have a life of stress or a life with no stress is not always up to us, and is often a result of everyday hurdles that remove us from our comfort zones. In the face of such uncertainty, it’s good to find a healthy way to wind down, even if it’s as simple as colouring.
But for Rebecca, colouring was more than just an outlet, it was treatment. After a mental health crisis, Rebecca Lapple found herself in the care of William Osler Health Centre. During her stay, she was fortunate enough to have her own art supplies, which were integrated into her recovery plan. Meditation, along with colouring mandalas, became important parts of her routine.
As you can imagine, not every inpatient has art supplies to fall back on and therefore can’t participate in this meditative exercise. In order to share this experience with the patients of the mental health ward and show her gratitude to William Osler, she’s collaborating with local Brampton artists to create a colouring book, appropriately named Colour Your Way to Serenity Memorial Colouring Book.
But why colouring specifically? Rebecca admits that aside from subject matter, this book is not that different from any other colouring book. It’s not meant to be convoluted or stress inducing; it’s a very simple, yet creative outlet that can be used as a meditative aid. It may even revert people back to a childlike state where they can forget about all their worldly worries and focus on creating something beautiful.
The majority of proceeds will go to an art supplies and facilitation program that she started to benefit the adult mental health wards at William Osler Hospitals. The rest will go to benefit artists, galleries, and arts businesses in Peel who are busy promoting the book to help facilitate community arts initiatives.
Rebecca is currently recruiting submissions for the book, artists can reach her at Rebecca.A.Lapple@gmail.com to submit their pieces.