Page through our Colorful Christmas Coloring Book!
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Why Adult Coloring Is Such A Hit, and Why You Need To Start
By Jim Marcotte
As I write this, ten of the top fifty books on Amazon’s Best Seller list are adult coloring books. Six of those are in the top twenty-five, including the book at number one. Numero Uno. Their bestselling book, selling millions of copies. Even though there has been a fair amount of media coverage about adult coloring of late, for many people this is still a bit of a head-shaker. Coloring books? For grown-ups?
Absolutely. And they are trending up with a vengeance.
Adult coloring is not exactly new. It has been around for years as a therapy tool, mostly used as a means to reduce stress and anxiety. There was also a small group of dedicated “coloristas” who enjoyed coloring as a hobby, but that group is no longer small by any measure. So what happened?
A few years back a Scottish artist named Johanna Basford pitched an adult coloring book to her publisher. Though skeptical, they decided to publish a first run of thirteen thousand books – a pretty big commitment – and promptly sold them all. Now, several million books later, Basford is credited with kickstarting a trend that shows no signs of peaking.
So what is it about coloring? There are a number of reasons it is so popular:
- You do not need to be a skilled artist to create a beautiful design. Here at The Coloring Café we have coined the term “guided creativity” to explain it. Because you are not starting from a blank sheet, coloring becomes a calming, non-threatening method of expressing creativity. All you need is a book, some colored pencils or markers, and you are on your way.
- It’s simple, basic therapy. Fans of coloring report that it helps quiet the mind and at the same time increases their focus. It’s a great way to disconnect for a bit, to leave the frantic pace of our digital world behind and mindfully create something beautiful. It’s meditation without the mantra or cramped legs.
- Coloring is a versatile pastime. It can be a quiet calming moment, perhaps unwinding after the kids are in bed, or it can be a social event complete with wine, snacks and laughter (just don’t spill on your newly created masterpiece!). We have supplied coloring get-togethers, birthday parties and wedding showers with coloring book and pencil kits, and the participants have raved about how much fun it was.
- Coloring is portable. You can tuck a book and pencils into a purse, tote or briefcase and use them to pass the time anywhere. Long waits at the doctor’s office, in the car to pick up the kids, passing time in a hospital room—virtually any spot can be a coloring refuge.
- Coloring can be social. There are Facebook groups with thousands of members, Pinterest and Instagram pics galore, groups springing up in cities large and small. Even the “anti-social media” social media site Reddit has some coloring subs. You can share your creativity on these sites or just hang out and be inspired by others, because with coloring there are no rules!
- Coloring is a versatile pastime. It can be a quiet calming moment, perhaps unwinding after the kids are in bed, or it can be a social event complete with wine, snacks and laughter (just don’t spill on your newly created masterpiece!). We have supplied coloring get-togethers, birthday parties and wedding showers with coloring book and pencil kits, and the participants have raved about how much fun it was.
For all these reasons and more, I think coloring will be much more than a fad, in fact I believe it will remain popular for a long time to come. So jump in, shed that stress and make something beautiful!Â
Jim Marcotte is a writer and business consultant based in Cape Coral, FL. He and his wife, artist Ronnie Walter, are the founders of The Coloring Cafe®.
How A Childhood Pastime Now Helps Adults Relieve Stress
By Jim Marcotte
Adult Coloring books are showing up on bestseller lists worldwide. Coloring for adults has moved out into the mainstream, people are toting books and pencils around with them wherever they go. What the “colorists” know, however is this pastime is not only fun, there can be significant therapeutic value as well. So how is this more than just a fun way to pass some time?
Art in many forms (music, dance, painting and drawing) has long been used in various therapeutic settings. A century ago Carl Jung would instruct his patients to color in mandalas to improve their focus and allow the subconscious to let go. Getting people comfortable with expressing themselves creatively can help resolve issues with stress, self-esteem and communication problems, problems with attention and focus, even some physical and behavioral issues. It’s not just a theoretical link, published papers now show that art therapies can benefit patients with issues related to cancer, PTSD, and other stress-based disorders and anxiety.
Adult coloring, while not technically a medical procedure, is thought to work in a similar manner. The calming, repetitive motion can temporarily “rewire” the brain and shift focus away from dominating negative thoughts and onto the colors and movements. Dr. J. Pearson, a neuroscientist at the University of New South Wales, says the actions of coloring – looking at the shape and size, finding the edges, picking out the colors – can help reduce the appearance of anxiety producing thoughts and images by occupying the same area of the brain with what is essentially a meditative process. As Dr. Pearson told NineMSN, “Anything that helps control your attention is going to help. With coloring, you have some rules but it’s not too challenging. You need to focus in to achieve it but it doesn’t have so many rules that it’s stressful.”
Some therapists refer to coloring as a form of “active meditation.” It has long been accepted that repetitive motions can help with focus and calming of the mind, and where the mind goes the body follows. Runners and walkers, knitters and even doodlers have long enjoyed the benefits that come from practiced, repetitive motions—and now, equipped with a set of pencils and a coloring book you can enjoy those benefits anywhere. We hear from moms who swear by a little coloring to end the day and quiet their minds after the kids are in bed. Students bring them to lectures because they can actually concentrate better while coloring diverts their nervous energy.
Sometimes people just want to unplug for while, and coloring is a low cost, low tech method to help ease the stress of our fast-paced high tech world. Settle in, pick a color and listen to the rhythm of that pencil on the paper as your creativity flows onto the page. It is a beautiful thing, but remember not every “colorist” is in it for the therapy. Adult Coloring is a fun and relaxing creative pastime, it’s rewarding all by itself. The other benefits – those are a bonus!
Jim Marcotte is a writer and business consultant based in Cape Coral, FL. He and his wife, artist Ronnie Walter, are the founders of The Coloring Cafe®.