Introduction
At the time of writing this article (August 2022), a quarter of
Amazon's top twenty best-selling books are coloring in books. So what is an
adult coloring book, and how is it that they are currently outselling top
fiction authors with new releases such as E.L. James and Paula Hawkins?
Adult coloring books are, very simply, coloring in books for
grown ups. Like children's coloring books, they are full of outline
illustrations designed to be filled in with colored pencils, markers, crayons,
or whatever other media you wish to use.
What's in an adult coloring in book?
The main difference between adults' and kids' color books is
that the grown up versions generally feature less juvenile images and designs.
Instead of superheroes, barnyard animals, and television characters, adult
coloring in books are more often filled with:
·
elements of the
natural world, such as trees, flowers, leaves, gardens, animals and insects;
·
geometric designs;
·
psychedelic patterns;
·
repetitive 'wallpaper'
type patterns;
·
cities and buildings;
·
anatomical drawings;
·
goddesses, angels, and
mermaids;
·
mandalas; and
·
celtic designs.
There are also many 'theme' specific books available, featuring
diverse subjects such as cars, steampunk designs, and Art Nouveau patterns.
Why are they so popular?
A Scottish illustrator named Johanna Bradford published a
coloring book called Secret Garden in 2013, featuring pages of
beautifully hand-illustrated ink drawings. The New York Times reported
in March that a Korean pop star named Kim Ki-bum posted a photograph on
Instagram of a 'delicately colored-in floral pattern' from Secret
Garden. At the time, Ki-bum had a massive 1.8 million Instagram followers.
The post went viral and helped to ignite the craze.
The growth in popularity of the books reportedly has much to do
with adult relaxation and stress release. Many adults who use the books report
that they find the repetitive, low-stress nature of coloring in to be soothing,
relaxing, and a way of de-stressing away from the pressures of life and work.
Among the other benefits of adult coloring in books, they also
claim to enjoy recapturing the nostalgia of childhood by engaging in an
activity usually reserved for children. It takes people back to a simpler time,
and can also be a way for parents to connect and bond with their children by
sitting down to color in with them. Of course, many parents have been happily
coloring in kids' books for years, but now they have choices that are not
limited to Dora the Explorer or SpongeBob Square Pants.
In summary, coloring for adults appears to be a growing
past-time that allows adults to relax and unplug from the stress in their
lives, by engaging in a hands-on activity that involves minimal commitment and
maximum nostalgia.
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