In elementary school, the best time of the day was free time. This was the time you could let your imagination run wild, whether it meant reading your favorite book series, mine was the Box Car Children, or drawing different pictures and getting the chance to see your imagination come to life on that piece of paper. As a child, coloring invoked a feeling of creativity and freedom, which has recently been brought back through adult coloring books which hope to bring about the same feelings. From books featuring woodland creatures to books showing different cityscapes, adult coloring books have found their way into our lives and here's why they are here to stay, but the real question is what do they do for us? Can they actually relieve the stress we feel in our daily lives?

Due to the very recent spike in the adult coloring book craze, not much research has been conducted to help people understand what coloring does for us. Many professionals believe that this new crazy is directly linked to art therapy because it is at this time that the adult can express their thoughts and emotions through their artistic creativeness. It can also be used as an escape from the technological age we are living in. Coloring forces you to focus on one image at a time rather than being bombarded with a plethora of images from Facebook or Instagram. The notion of completing an entire project is also very pleasing to most people and allows them to feel a sense of accomplishment in the crazy and demanding lives we live. Art therapist and author of many adult coloring books, Lacy Mucklow, stated that "coloring engages your hands as well as your mind and your focus. Plus, the repetitive, actions made while coloring release serotonin, the brain transmitter responsible for relaxation." So what's not to love?

I have jumped on this "adult coloring book" bandwagon, being the proud owner of two coloring books. Personally, the idea of coloring is very calming to me. It reminds me of simplicity and forces me to focus on something other than my school work, which can become overwhelming at times. I feel that taking the time to color in a page that depicts a beautiful cityscape allows me to reflect on my day, which can allow me to destress and actually helps me focus more on the work that needs to get done.

So before you judge the adults or college students that want to color, think about what it could do for you and how it could help you live a better, less stressful life and color away!