Colored Pencils

Object When I was seven years old, my grandmother bought me a set of coloring pencils. They look like this: I still have these colored pencils, even though I do not use them as much as I used to. They do not take up a lot of space, which is one reason why I saved this item from my childhood. Also, colored pencils are practical items rather than toys. They are not something I can ever outgrow.

The only thing that may change will be the need to replace the set once the pencils are completely worn down. The reason these specific coloring pencils have a sentimental value is partly because they were given to me by my grandmother. My grandmother taught me a lot about how to develop self-confidence and to dream about my future. The coloring pencils were tools of self-expression. Unlike my mother, my grandmother encouraged me to color outside of the lines and to draw freely on blank sheets of paper.

My mother was a more rational person whose pencils were mainly black, and who used them more for math than for art. I associate colored pencils with creativity. Another reason why the colored pencils have a sentimental value for me is because I used to use them with my friends and my younger sister. Even looking at the box now brings back happy memories of coloring and drawing. The sensory elements that make these pencils special include their smell, their feel in my hands, and of course, their colors.

When I write with these pencils, I also hear the sound of their connection with the paper. I also hear the sound of their being sharpened by hand, and I smell the wood shavings as they tear off from the pencil. The vibrancy of the colors, and the ability to choose whichever color I want at the moment, is the most important feature of the coloring pencils. When I use coloring pencils, my mood changes from one of restricted thought to liberation.

Trees can be purple, and skies can be red if I choose. I can also use colored pencils in a more rational or structured way, such as when I play games with my friends and each person has his or her own color for scoring purposes. Colored pencils do not affect my behavior or cognition in shopping malls or friends' homes.

These are a gender neutral tool, allowing both boys and girls to express their feelings and ideas in ways that do not depend on what other people believe they should think or feel. Colored pencils also transcend culture. There are no cultural issues or barriers.