Last year, if someone gave me a gift and told me it was a coloring book, I'd probably take it as some kind of artist joke. For Christmas this year, my mother actually got a coloring book, and when she told me, I couldn't help but put on a quizzical look. I didn't understand why she would even want one, until I actually saw what the book looked like. The content is certainly different from that of children's coloring books.
This trend actually began two years ago, thanks to the Scottish illustrator, Johanna Basford, who is recognized for her intricate hand drawn patterns that are typically done in black and white. These have been used for wallpaper and bottle designs in the past. In 2011, she was asked by a small British publisher, Laurence King Publishing, to make designs for a children's coloring book. However, Basford suggested that she instead make a coloring book geared towards an adult audience. In 2013, her first adult coloring book, "Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book," was published, setting the adult coloring trend in motion. Fast-forward to 2015, and now nine of the 20 books on Amazon's bestseller list are adult coloring books. In fact, Amazon now has a separate category page dedicated solely to this trend. "Secret Garden" has sold a grand total of around two million copies worldwide by August 2015.
What makes these coloring books so attractive and why has it become such a dynamic trend? The books' aesthetics certainly play a big role. Naturally, the images you'll find in an adult coloring book, as opposed to a children's coloring book, are far more intricate. The books typically recommend that you use coloring pencils for greater accuracy as opposed the more child-like medium, crayons. But it's not just the look that makes these books so popular. The coloring books have since become a social media trend. People who buy these books and color in them are now called "colorists." Colorists often take the creations they have colored and share them on outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest where fellow enthusiasts can like the work and give input on types and brands of coloring utensils to use for future work.
Most importantly, the trend brings adults back to the days where they expressed their creativity by freely putting crayon to paper, without feeling like they're dumbing themselves down. The books are therapeutic. Colorists feel a sense of calm and relief as they color their pages. The aren't stressed out by an excessive amount of creativity, as they are guided by the line art presented, but they experience the soothing qualities a creative activity can give by being given the challenge of deciding how they will fill in each page.
Living the life of a grown-up can be stressful, so picking up a good coloring book can be a good solution if your feeling pounds and pounds of weight on your shoulders. These books can give you a breath of fresh air while also potentially giving you a feeling of nostalgia. Whether you're looking to take a break from the pressure around you, or go back to the joy you had coloring as a kid, the coloring books are a welcomed trend that don't seem to be fading anytime soon.
