Several arts and crafts groups have risen in the southern part of The Villages over the past few years. From painting to sketching, acrylics to watercolors, there are multiple choices for the residents to indulge themselves in.
If you’re looking for a way to unwind that doesn’t involve a cell phone or your Netflix queue, get to the Color Me Calm group.
Yep, coloring is a calming mindfulness activity that allows those racing thoughts about your last stressful task to settle as you focus on choosing colors, filling in the lines or just scribbling.
The group gets together from 6-7:30 p.m. every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at Burnsed Recreation Center.
They use everything from colored pencils to face markers to watercolor-based pencils. Some have been coloring using the diamond dot painting method, and a few even brought in rocks to color.
The group averaging from 10-20 people has been operating for about four years, right around the time Burnsed opened.
“The idea is to get together and have no drama,” said Peggy Swantek, of the Village of Collier. “I work full time, and I was looking to do something where people could do something in the evening. We get together and share what we know.”
Swantek has been engaged in the art around the time adult coloring had already become a hit.
“I tried coloring and fell in love with it,” Swantek said. “To me, it’s very calming.”
She, occasionally, brings in different coloring books for the residents to fill in.
“I take whatever I’m in the mood for,” she said.