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I was at our regular fortnightly craft club recently, sitting with a cup of tea and my colouring book open in front of me. It’s a relaxed group. People bring along whatever they’re working on — knitting, sewing, little craft projects — and we chat as we go.

I had brought along a copy of my “Calm Corners” pocket-sized little colouring book and started to colour one of the pages. Nothing complicated, just a few quiet minutes with a crayon pencil in my hand (the colour doesn’t bleed through to the next page, as it can with markers).

After I’d finished colouring the page, I found myself

adding some extra touches — a few simple leaf shapes and a small vine to join them together. Nothing artistic or difficult or planned. Just something that felt nice to do at the time.

That’s when a lady beside me said something that stayed with me. She told me she doesn’t really colour anymore. Her hands shake now, she said, and she feels she wouldn’t be able to do it properly.

“Doing It Properly” Isn’t the Point

I understood what she meant straight away. So many people think colouring has to be neat, inside the lines, even, careful, controlled.

But the truth is:

It doesn’t matter

Colouring isn’t for display. It’s not a test. There’s no finished standard to reach. It’s not school, where the teacher gives marks based on how well you stayed inside the lines. If colouring helps you feel a little calmer, more peaceful or focused, a little more settled, or simply gives your mind something gentle to focus on — then it’s doing its job.

That’s enough

When Hands Aren’t Steady

One of the reasons I like simple, strong designs is because they make colouring more accessible. Thicker outlines give you space. You don’t have to be precise. You don’t have to worry about staying inside the lines. That’s useful for lots of people, kids, people who have been ill or have a problem, seniors, etc.

And even if the colour does go outside the lines? So what?

It really doesn’t matter

The page is yours. You Can Add Your Own Marks!

Something else came out of that quiet moment at the table. After I had finished colouring part of the page, I added my own shapes — a few leaves, a simple vine. It changed the page slightly, but more importantly, it kept me engaged. It made me realise:

You don’t just have to colour what’s already there

It’s YOUR page. You can:

• Add circles, lines, or simple shapes
• Extend patterns
• Join areas together
• Fill spaces in your own way
• Or you can keep it as it is.

There’s no rule. Do what YOU want. Take the page, Use it, Make it yours. If you want to leave lots of space – then do so. If you want to fill any space with lots of tiny shapes or doodles, add phone numbers or even just scribble over it – do so. It’s yours.

It’s About the Moment, Not the Result

Sometimes colouring is about:

• Filling a page, or
• Completing something

But often, it’s simply about:

• Having something steady to do with your hands
• Helping yourself to focus
• Giving your thoughts a place to rest
• Taking a few minutes for yourself

You don’t need to finish the page. You don’t need to get it “right”. You can just begin… and stop whenever you want.

A Quiet Permission

If you’ve ever thought: “I can’t colour anymore” or “I wouldn’t be able to do it properly” this is your gentle reminder:

• There is no proper way.
• There is only “your way”. And “your way” may change from day to day

A Small Place to Start

If you’d like something simple to begin with, I created “Calm Corners: Pocket Colouring and Activity Pages” for moments just like this.

It’s a small, easy-to-carry book, pocket-sized, just 5 inches by 8 inches, with a mix of very simple and more detailed pages, so you can choose what feels right each time you pick it up.

You don’t need much time.
Just a few minutes… and a place to begin.