The adult coloring book trend continues to gain new enthusiasts. Publishers keep churning out new books with themes as varied as cats, mandalas, Harry Potter and swear words, all of them chockfull of intricate line art that begs to be filled in with color. A quick check on Amazon.com on a particular day revealed that three of their top 10 bestsellers were coloring books for a mature crowd, and the site offered a whopping 13,771 total results for a search on “adult coloring books.”
Why did coloring become so popular among grownups in recent months? A few reasons come to mind:
It reminds us of our youth. If you wiled away hours with a favorite coloring book or a whole pile of books and a 64-pack of crayons when you were a kid, coloring as a grownup can bring back those pleasant, nostalgic memories.
It’s relaxing. The intricate designs in many popular coloring books compel coloring enthusiasts to block out other thoughts and environmental chaos to complete them well. And the gentle scuffing of a colored pencil or crayon across the surface of the paper can be quite mesmerizing. Don’t think the publishers haven’t noticed: Some of the books on the market include references to stress relief in their titles.
It’s stimulating. The action of coloring stimulates areas of the brain involved in vision, motor skills, logic and creativity.
You don’t have to be an accomplished artist. In a world where social media sites like Pinterest and Facebook provide evidence of artists all around us who can turn simple craft supplies into masterpieces, it’s nice to have a hobby option that requires no specific training or inherent talent at all.
You can color solo or with like-minded folks. If you’re an introvert or a parent who needs some peace and quiet, coloring at home without anyone around to make small talk may sound very alluring. For the social set, adult coloring groups have been popping up across the country, bringing together people from all walks of life who share a love of this nostalgic pursuit.
