I, like many, loved coloring books as a child. Then I reached the stubborn age where I “grew out” of them and were “too old” for such childish activities. It was all a lie. Going past shelves in stores stocked with books full of pages just waiting to meet a crayon, I regretted my foolish decision to leave them in the past. Yet that part of my life had come and gone; at least, I thought it had. This was until my high school friend pulled a brand-new packet of crayons and a Disney themed coloring book out of her backpack one day. I was amazed by her ingenuity. Of course people older than children could use coloring books! Why hadn’t I realized it before? For that matter, why wasn’t coloring as adults a more popular activity? Now imagine my surprise, along the resounding realization I had been living under a rock, when I discovered not only that it was a trend, but it was a popular one at that.
Yes, it will come as no surprise to most, if not all of you, that coloring as adults is a thing now. In fact, it has been a thing for several years and has resulted in a whole variety of adult coloring books full of more intricate images than can be found in your average, child coloring book. The most significant reasons given for this sudden trend are the associated health benefits, including reducing anxiety and helping people focus on the moment. This is especially true for those that feel they have no artistic ability, where the idea of creating an image may be just as stressful as whatever they are trying to shift their focus away from.
Whatever the reason, I am glad the implication that coloring books are childish is going away. They can be great for people of all ages. I can personally attest to their stress relieving abilities, and value them for a creative outlet when I’m too busy to actually make something from scratch. Don’t feel any embarrassment at all in following this trend. If it’s going to help you in any way, go for it! There are themed adult coloring books for a wide variety of interests, or you could pick up any random coloring book available at the nearest gas station. You can use crayons, markers, pencils, or anything that you want to put pigment on the paper. The only other things you need are some time and a dash of creativity, and stress relief could be yours.