Announcing (Free) Earth Parade Coloring Pages
Relieve stress, have fun, and change your outlook with a simple activity that's not just for kids
We have a few announcements this week.
Firstly, we are deeply saddened by the losses from one of the worst wildfires in US history, destroying a place and community we love. Our boys were born in California, and we spent so much time in LA, falling more in love with it every time we visited. Our hearts go out to all the victims, including some dear friends who have lost their homes and/or schools. We are gutted thinking about all the precious animals and wildlife who have been hurt or killed by the fire. We’ll be donating what we can in cash and also making boxes of clothes and supplies to send to Los Angeles this week from Miami. If you’re in the South Florida area and want to donate clothes, diapers, and other things that can help the newly homeless, please consider dropping off a box or two. We will make sure it gets to people and/or animals in need in Los Angeles. Please reach out to us directly at earthparadefamily@gmail.com or call/text us. We are eternally grateful to the brave firefighters who are working tirelessly to protect these communities. Their strength and bravery are beyond admirable. Witnessing the way in which the community has come together to help and rebuild has been the one bright light in this very dark moment.
We also want to thank all of you who have subscribed, provided feedback, and made pledges to our fledgling project. Your support means the world to us. You will notice that we have turned on paid memberships, which automatically convert pledges into paid subscriptions. Soon, we will begin limiting certain content to paid subscribers and will, of course, let you know what those extras are so you can decide if a paid membership makes sense for you.
Finally, we are excited to announce the creation of a new series of printable coloring pages. As you will read below, they could actually be helpful in these particularly anxious times. We’ve released the first two for free to anyone who may need them right now.
What are printable coloring pages?
They’re exactly what you think they are. Black and white prints for you to color in as you see fit. The activity you used to do as a kid and that your kids probably still do at school or at restaurants that cater to children. We actually refuse to call it a “kid’s activity” because it’s not just for kids. If you’re an adult who hasn’t colored in a while, you might just find it meditative or fun.
Coloring pages for adults, seriously?
Oh yeah. The numbers don’t lie. This coloring book for adults called Secret Garden by the illustrator and author Johanna Basford has sold millions of copies and has been translated into 44 languages.
Adults are mainly drawn to coloring pages because they are a wonderful antidote to technology addiction or compulsive scrolling. If you can't get out into nature, coloring is also a great way to relax and relieve stress and anxiety indoors.
"I've watched people under acute stress, almost panic-attack levels, color, and have their blood pressure go down very quickly. It's cathartic for them," said Marti Faist, an art therapist, in an interview with the Baltimore Sun. He added, “When someone is coloring, their mind and body are operating in a more integrated way. It's almost a meditative process."
We are with you, Marti.
The renowned 20th-century Swiss psychologist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung said that “colors are the mother tongue of the subconscious.” He had an incredible interpretation of what each color represented (e.g., Red is the color of life itself, blue represents the mind and spirit, and yellow symbolizes intuition and creativity). Jung believed the value of art was not in the end product itself but rather in the process of using color and what it revealed about the psychology of the creator.
What will the colors you choose reveal about your subconscious mind? There’s only one way to find out.
Whether you buy into Jungian color theories or not, the best way to see the value of coloring pages is simply to try it for yourself. At the very least, you will feel like a kid again. What could possibly be bad about that?
Why are Earth Parade coloring pages special?
For starters, they are all hand-drawn by Dana in her signature style. They will incorporate the detailed features of some of the most fascinating creatures on Earth. We hope you will learn something about their unique anatomy or biology through the coloring process. Our intention is to create a coloring page for every one of the 73 threatened animals or plants we discover in the wild. For each species, we will create one or more of these coloring pages for you to download, print, and turn into an adults-only art project for yourself or an activity to enjoy with your little ones.
The first two we made below celebrate the stunning and now-threatened monarch butterfly. We’ve added them below to make it simple for you. Use the download links under the images below to get the best resolution. Print them out in black and white, and then color them to your heart’s content. We would love it if you could share your colorful creations with us here or on Instagram! (We promise not to psychoanalyze you ;)) We can’t wait to see what you create!
To life,
J+D
