Paint by Number is Fine. A Coloring Book is a Threat!

About this episode

Lauren Howard discusses the stress of coloring books and shares her preference for paint by number activities.

In this episode which is sponsored by our wonderful partners at Inflow , I have a bone to pick with everyone who has ever bought me a coloring book. I know you meant well. I know you love me. I know you saw "mindless activity" and thought of me. But I need you to understand something: there is nothing in this world more stressful than being handed a mandala and a box of markers and being told to relax. Nothing. Hi, I'm Lauren Howard and my friends call me L2. Over the coming 20 minutes, I'll be walking through exactly why coloring books are a form of psychological warfare for my brain — the wrong colors, the spacing, the seven shades of gray problem, the blank page that is just failure waiting to happen — and what actually works for me instead. (Paint by number. With the paint pots included. Do not hand me a paint by number without the paint pots.) I also tell the story behind why I sign off every single conversation — phone call, Zoom, hallway chat — the same exact way. Every time. Have for a decade. Started in a substance use clinic, where "be good" was less a pleasantry and more a genuinely urgent request. One patient called me out the one time I forgot. I didn't realize how…

People in this episode

Host: Lauren Howard

Topics covered

• coloring books
• mental health
• stress
• psychological warfare
• self-care

Keywords

• mandala
• markers
• failure
• substance use clinic

Sponsors

Inflow

Mentioned in this episode

Products: coloring book, paint by number

Books & works: Golden Girls

Places: Oakland, California

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