My colouring book is a diary

I've just had the best weekend. Beautiful weather, beautiful South Pacific island… and between swimming and eating and blobbing on a lounger; colouring. 

I love colouring doodles. There's no pressure. I don't consciously have to choose colours like I would do if I was colouring a picture - blue for the sky, green for foliage - I just pick the colours that appeal in the moment and they always look good. There are no right or wrong choices, only individual preferences. It's very relaxing. 

Inspiring too. The lagoon colours and dancing light on the water make for a magical backdrop: deep, inky-blue on the horizon blending into azures, crystal turquoises and gold where it meets the beach. The colours of my doodles mirror my surroundings.

And this is the wonderful thing. The essence of this sparkling day is somehow captured in the coloured page and connected to the memory. When I look at it, everything about the day comes back to me. I remember the sound of the surf on a distant reef, the conversation I had with my partner, the smiling island lady with a red hibiscus flower in her hair who brought us our lunch… I feel the warmth of the sun and gentle sea breezes. I'm transported. I'm reliving the best of days.

​My colouring book is diary of sorts, a time machine.