One of my high school teachers used to always tell me, “Don’t forget to smell the roses.” However, already feeling one step behind as I chased extracurriculars and homework deadlines, I thought, “I can’t just stop running to smell the roses as life rolls under my feet at 8 miles per hour.”

Now I’m a few years older and can’t help marveling at how powerful taking the time to breathe can be. The crisp fresh air of dawn that people breathe on their backpacking trips, the slow afternoon walks with family and the feeling of balance that comes with every inhale and exhale when meditating seems so inextricable to our growth. 

For me, art has always been where I’ve found the space to breathe and think. Whether I’m drawing or looking at art, the moments of reflection and realization have taken me much further than my legs could carry me. And so, I wanted to share the space through coloring pages.

Here are some coloring pages to fill out as much or as little as you want:

Contact Helena Zhang at [email protected].