A series of colouring books that started as a simple mental health initiative for me and ended as a community collaborative project.
CREATIVE DIRECTION, EDITORIAL DESIGN, ILLUSTRATION, CREATIVE WRITING
what initially started from a bunch of black and white ink drawings i filled a couple notebooks with as a way to relax and quiet my mind ended up in a project that raised $1,000 for a local mutual aid group.
the series is specifically made for those with anxiety, a tendency to over think themselves to death, those who are neurodivergent, highly sensitive, and busy minds and is meant to be a meditative activity.
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THE STORY
i’m much more attentive when i’m doodling, even if it looks like i’m not paying attention. my mind gets quiet and present and then i can focus a lot more on what i’m doing or what someone else is saying.
it wasn’t just my imagination, it’s science. when we focus on something visual in front of us, such as an art project or colouring page, the fear centre of our brain relaxes and slows down, creating a state of mindfulness.
in other words, this kind of activity is a form of meditation.
i saw the benefit in myself and one day thought, “other people might like this, too” so i got to work to transform all these ink drawings into a digital format to put them in a book.
VOLUME 01
FOR BUSY MINDS, REVISED VERSION
LATE 2025
7×10 IN
this one features a random prompt to ask yourself and think about as you colour. there’s no need to write anything down and there’s no right or wrong answer.
these are genuine and seemingly random questions about life to ask yourself when your mind is quiet and not distracted or biased to answer for a specific outcome.
[LIMITED COPIES AVAILABLE; ONLINE STORE COMING SOON]
VOLUME 02
FOR SPIRALLING MINDS
SPRING 2025
7×10 IN
with each illustration features a poem or short story that spilled out on a whim one night with minimal editing.
the lack of editing was an intentional choice: less overthinking, more doing or making.
[LIMITED COPIES AVAILABLE; ONLINE STORE COMING SOON]
VOLUME 03
FOR A BETTER WORLD
FALL 2025
7×10 IN
this one was made for the community, by the community and was a collaborative project i led with 100% proceeds for @7thgenrising, a local mutual aid group. credit for each illustration was given in the book.
wanting to make this one a bit different and itching to do a collaborative project, i put out a call for local artists of any age or experience level to submit one all black outlined illustration for the project [and an optional written story or poem to go with it].
i compiled it all into the book, added some of my own illustrations and words, printed a small run of 25, offered sliding scale pricing, and sold out in a few days.
i printed a second run of 40 copies and sold out early into 2026, raising nearly $1K.
[SOLD OUT]
INITIAL PEN + PAPER DRAWINGS THAT INSPIRED IT ALL
SUMMER/FALL 2024
