Coloring is instilled in us during our youth. In preschool, there is coloring. In kindergarten through second grade, coloring is a normality. Adults coloring? Not so much. It’s the new fad, and nobody can escape it. I don’t mean the adult coloring that parents do with their children when they are sitting down doing homework. I mean adults purchasing coloring books for themselves and taking out the time to sit down and color. There is even a shortage of colored pencils and pens due to this trend.

Coloring isn’t just for children and their parents who are supervising them. Those particular parents and many other adults are doing more than simply supervising these days; they are indulging themselves in this kiddie pastime. But that’s the appeal of adult coloring. It embodies the inner child in an adult and reduces stress. When you were a child, you had no worries – not a care in the world beside what your mom packed you for lunch or what you were going to play at recess.

Although the idea of coloring may seem a bit childish, it’s a great way to alleviate stress. As opposed to going for a run or a great workout, try something on the more creative side. “You get so focused, you forget everything you were thinking about and just create a beautiful picture in the end.” The words of fellow adult colorer, Ali Hardaway, are relatable to anybody and everyone who has succumbed to stress and been overwhelmed by what life entails. If you think about it, both types of activities take about the same amount of time depending on personal preferences, so time will not be wasted on either choice.

Here’s a few recommendations just in case you want to dabble in this new trend.

1. Doodle Dogs – For all the dog lovers out there, this book features 30 full-page portraits of dogs, fox, and even wolves.
2. Creative Haven Creative Cats- Some may not be all about dogs,
3. Dragon World – “Game of Thrones” is for sure a hot topic of 2016, so why not be part of the dragon world with Khaleesi and pick up this coloring book?
4. Balance by Angie Grace- The coloring book of all coloring books, this is for the extremely stressed people, who are in desperate need of a significant de-stressor.

Stress isn’t beneficial to anyone’s well-being and can affect different aspects of your life negatively. “Too much stress can kill you.” Familiar with that phrase? If you start de-stressing yourself, then it’s a phrase you won’t have to stress over. The difference between child coloring books and adult coloring books is that the adult coloring books feature patterns and designs specifically drawn for relaxing and creative expression, which adheres to stress relief. And I will leave you with some parting words from fellow adult coloring enthusiast, Shayla Slappy:

“I have been coloring since April of 2016. It all began when I was preparing for final exams. There were books in in my school’s book store to color for free, so I stopped and tried it out. It was very relaxing and gave me a chance to explore my creativity and relax without any restrictions. I would recommend it to other people for sure! In fact, I am a counselor at a university law camp, and I had an activity that catered to adult coloring and encouraging my students to free their minds through it.”

The Growing Trend of Adult Coloring

Written by Maya Bramletta

September 2016 | HealthLife