Amazing Birds Adult Coloring Book #Review #Promotion

     I'm on anxiety medication. You likely didn't know that about me until just now.  Why am I on it?  I think part of it is that I'm just not able to stand up for myself and I take on more stress than I can handle because of it.  I think part of it is the amount of stress I get from the kids and all that comes with that.  I think also that a lot of it is just who I am.  I always worry about how I make others feel, if I've offended them, or made them angry.  I worry about if I've made myself look foolish by things I have said or things I have done... Was that joke even funny?  Do my clothes look stupid on me?  How noticeable is my acne?  I worry too much about silly things.  Truth be told, I am so un-confrontational and "nice" that if anyone is angered by me, it's really their problem and not mine.  But I get anxious anyway.

     Recently I read that coloring can relieve anxiety.  The idea seemed like a good one.  When you delve deeply into something and your concentration is so entwined in a project, it's hard to stress about much else.  So I figured it was worth a shot. 

     The cool thing is that I'm already a pretty big fan of the author.  Her name is Tali Carmi and she's a pretty great children's author and is responsible for the Terry Treetop series and the Abigail series.  But this coloring book is for adults and it's called Amazing Birds.  It's got incredible line art of some pretty great birds and scenery.  But what's neat about the book is all the fun facts that come with it.  Under each bird is a little information about that bird.

     I noticed with the artwork that she uses relatable objects and designs in the birds and in their surroundings.  For example, in the duck, which is a water bird, she used water wheels and paddle wheels in her design.  For the vulture, she uses wagon wheels, cacti, and bones, symbolizing the hot desert.  I just love the creativity in the pages.

     To be honest, and I didn't notice until I started coloring, but there were a few spots in each design that felt open ended.  I wished I had a fine tip black marker so that I could add a line here or there to finish it off.  Spots like between the grass blades on the duck page.  Just small things.

     Overall, I really do like the book.  I think it does help me unwind and get my mind off stupid things that make me anxious.  When I was having a rough time with Streaker, I was able to calm down and really get my head into something besides the stress that she was causing me.  I've decided to keep a few pages in the van in case I need some redirection while we're out.  I'm gonna keep some on hand at home as well.
     What kinds of things do you do to de-stress?  Any good tips?

     To learn more, check out Tali Carmi's Facebook, Twitter, and website.

Except for the product(s) given to me for the purpose of reviewing, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.