Menopting; Diversions

It has been quite an intense few weeks. One way I divert myself from an overactive mind is to give it a single track along which to run its thoughts. Yes, there are puzzles of varying types to engage the intellect, too. However, releasing that part and slowing down the raging river of thoughts is sometimes useful.

That's where arts and crafts come in. I didn't feel that sitting with a crochet hook in my hand was quite the fit I was looking for this past month. Still, I wanted to immerse myself in colour and gentle sounds. I looked for the koi pond app I once had on my tablet but failed to find it. Others are there but nowhere near as satisfying or as beautiful. As these things go, though, I was presented with some possible alternatives. One of these is Zen Color. This is a colour-by-number application; tap the colour bar at the bottom, and all the relevant patches in the image will display grey. Tap each of them, and they transform into that picked colour, all while gentle, meditative sounds and music play, though you can mute those if you prefer.

You can expand and contract the image to keep track of and locate some of the smaller patches. In fact, quite often, there are one or two spots that refuse to be found, so this is where super focus comes in - literally and figuratively. It actually takes focus - or perhaps concentration is the better word - to complete the images, although large parts can be done in a relatively thought-free condition.

Some images are deceptively simple in line form, taking more time than you realise to finish. Others are every bit as complex as they look. Completing them can take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour or more. I did wonder if I might bore of this after a few. Not at all! I am surprised at how absorbed I can become in locating the smaller patches to colour. There is a rhythmic quality to the 'painting' that is soothing, too. 

There are a huge number of templates to choose from, including the 'mystery' category. In that one, you have a blank page without a template, so you have no idea what you are going to end up with. I have done a couple of those now, and it brought a smile to my face when I recognised what was appearing—tigers in the first and sheep in the second. It really is fun and a nice way to keep the fingers occupied when feeling antsy. You can tell I really like it - I'm telling you about it!