THE STORY BEHIND THE ANYWHERE COLORING BOOK BY LO MAR’S ART
THOUGHT POST 4
YUP, this post contains the raw story of how The Anywhere Coloring Book came to fruition. From planting the seed…to the idea…and to the physical creation.
IMPORTANT FACT: I STARTED WRITING THIS POST ON 5/20/22 8:55am THEN DURING MY MORNING MEDITATION ON 9/18/22, I RECEIVED THE INTUITIVE MESSAGE THAT IT’S TIME TO POST SO I GOT TO IT (HOURS LATER) AND DEEMED THIS POST COMPLETE AT 8:55PM.
BEFORE THE ANYWHERE COLORING BOOK WAS AN IDEA:
IT ALL STARTED WITH THE SURPRISE GIFT THAT PLANTED THE SEED:
Back in 2017, when I was experiencing fresh heartbreak and questioning life and the career path I was on, I received the gift that started it all……MY FIRST ADULT COLORING BOOK gifted to me from my Desert Mama (a.k.a. a very dear family friend and who treated me like one of her own when I was away from home and living in the same city as her).
*Pause. I was going to rewrite how I felt when I received this gift and the importance that surprise gift had on me, but I am going to share a screenshot of the text I sent to my Desert Mama after she left my house that night.
I took this gift to work to color during breaks and I colored while watching TV after work every day for a while. I just loved that using it put me in a state of zen…not once, not twice, but every time it was like the stress vanished in those moment. Then I lost it in the shuffle of major changes in life and within myself.
THEN THAT SEED WAS NOURISHED BY A WISE 5 YEAR OLD:
FAST FORWARD a couple years.
Then one day, I rediscovered the fun of this gift. So I brought that baby out again, but this time in a new place and new version of self. I really enjoyed using it again, but while I was in the flow of coloring, I quickly felt this tightness within me as I was trying to color within the tiny ass spaces haha so I put it down on the table and as I did, “DING DONG” (doorbell sound effect) the doorbell rang and I ran to the door to welcome my incredible “niece” (who was about 5 years old at the time) into the house for some quality Auntie Lo Lo & “niece” (leaving out her name for privacy) time. She truly is one of my all time favorite humans ever.
Anyway, as the little munchkin and I were chatting it up and having fun like we always do, she noticed the adult coloring book sitting on the side table and suddenly her curiosity about the adult coloring book sparked a new conversation. She was intrigued that there was such a thing known as ADULT coloring books and beaming with curiosity because she discovered something new. Let me just say that this little girl has always amazed me with her insight and wonder.
On the heels of that glorious conversation, she freely expressed her interest in coloring in this adult coloring book, which led to her testing out this “so-called adult only product” with her innocent fun-loving coloring skills that were (and still are) really incredible à her sharing her genuine thoughts about her coloring experience in an adult coloring book.
THE SUMMARY OF HER THOUGHTS:
She was not impressed. At all. Hahah it was hilarious because at first it was so clear that she wanted to be kind with her words, but her facial expression spoke louder than her words. But then she realized it was safe for her to be open and honest so she continued by sharing that she liked her coloring books better because she didn't like all of the small spaces, but really emphasized that she loved coloring in something that I wanted to color too.
And BAM! In that moment, I knew I wanted to think of a gift I could create for her that we both could use together or separately (oh and just to toot my own horn, I give the best gifts) and I realized I felt constrained by the tiny spaces too and was at a new place where I really desired to feel more free in all aspects of life; which is why I felt tightness earlier in the day.
“It’s ok to grow out of something you loved so much. The appreciation remains…”
-Lo Mar (9/18/22 7:33pm)
THE INITIAL RECEIVING OF THE IDEA:
For me, receiving the initial idea of The Anywhere Coloring Book is the most memorable part of this story.
Soon after that lovely experience with one of my favorite humans, March 2019 to be exact, I received the idea for The Anywhere Coloring Book AND IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST THRILLING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE. I was working away on something else and BOOM!!!! THE IDEA POPPED INTO MY HEAD. Not just the idea of creating a coloring book, but all of the specifics too! My mind was just flooding with all the details of this creation and the feeling of it was thrilling. I absolutely loved the feeling of this idea and the thrill of thinking about it and the feeling of fun as I thought about creating it and soooo excited to use it!
This moment was pivotal because it was a crystal clear example and constant reminder that the thrill and exhilaration of an idea and basking in all the thoughts about it, can be just as fun as the physical experience. And to be blunt, as a whole, the receiving of the idea and all of those thrilling thoughts involved were more fun than the actual journey of creating The Anywhere Coloring Book.
Semi Fun Fact: One of my all time favorite things to do is doodling. I have always loved doodling. Partly because it was a fun way to distract myself from the boredom I felt during many lessons in grade school haha yeah I doodled all over my papers. I’m a long time doodler over here. I remember classmates of mine walking past my desk numerous times to compliment my doodling…and I never thought anything of it, but when I received the idea to make The Anywhere Coloring Book with my doodles, the memory of those simple yet genuine compliments emerged and I felt appreciation for those individuals because it helped me acknowledge that there is something beautiful about my carefree doodling.
Here’s a little picture of one of my elaborate doodles, but this one was when I was in college and much more elaborate. Guess I needed to balance studying neuroscience with some creative expression.
Anyway, the experience of the idea for The Anywhere Coloring Book popping into my head will always be a favorite because of the incredible feelings of bliss, clarity, love, fun, inspiration, appreciation, and many more, were so high that I felt…whole…that word doesn't do justice for the incredible feelings, but certainly an experience I will always cherish.
A SNIPPET OF THE CREATION PROCESS:
Sooooo SOOOO I changed my mind and decided that I’m going to save the details of this part of the story for another post, but for now, I’ll just share that it was the most tedious and strenuous process to create this baby. Haha I look back on the journey of creating The Anywhere Coloring Book (version 1) and haha geez…it was a much deeper and longer process than I ever expected, but immensely powerful for my internal growth, nonetheless.
“I learned so so so much about myself, digital artwork/creations, manufacturing, and just life as a whole. I wouldn't be who I am today without it...and ooo I really love who I am today…I am so proud of who I was, who I became, the skills gained, and all the wisdom I received from this creation process.”
–Lo Mar (5/20/22 1:11pm)
AND I LOVE USING THE ANYWHERE COLORING BOOK EVEN MORE. THE FEELINGS JUST GET BETTER AND BETTER.
THE END OF THIS STORY…FOR NOW.
LOVE,
LO
