We see these little numbers at gas stations, bookstores and even grocery stores. And many of our adult friends swear by them.
So just what is this wildly popular trend we’re talking about?
This trend is the craze associated with something that was once reserved for kids. It’s our fascination with adult coloring books.
According to the Washington Post, adult coloring books have become big business, making massive amounts of cash for retailers and creators. In fact, Nielsen Bookscan says that 12 million adult coloring books flew off shelves in 2015 alone.
This trend is shocking experts. According to The Washington Post, adult coloring books are topping best-seller charts over and over again. “I’ve been in this business for 20 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” Kathleen Schmidt, vice president at Running Press tells The Washington Post. And businesses are struggling to keep up the demand.
But where did trend begin? Was there one person behind the madness?
Back to the Drawing Board
According to The Washington Post, those in the know credit a Scottish author by the name of Johanna Basford for the original creation of adult coloring books. Basford published a 2013 adult coloring book called Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book. This publication, which is said to feature topiaries and flowers with hidden images embedded in the pictures, hit best-seller lists.
The trend behind the book is fascinating. According to the New York Post, experts started seeing reviews popping up online. In the reviews, people would say they bought a book for a relative but then purchased one for themselves.
This led to a whole new revolution -- the birth of the best-selling adult coloring book. The New York Post reports that France was the first country to be taken by the trend, where Secret Garden sold a million copies. Then China jumped into the mix, where the book sold 3 million copies. Brazil, too, fell in love with Secret Garden to the point that there weren’t enough colored pencils to go around.
But what about here at home? Did we buy Secret Garden too? In the United States, the book sold 1.5 million copies at the time of the article’s publication. Its follow-up, Enchanted Forest, sold 1.2 million copies.
Are You a Colorist?
There’s even a name for people who engage in coloring activities. Those who color call themselves “colorists.” They display works of art online and even receive reviews for their pieces. It's a world of its own that may be around for years -- like knitting.
“It’s kind of a way of being creative without the stress of too much creativity. You’re not stressing yourself out as much as you would if you were to draw from scratch, but you’re still getting some of the relaxing qualities of creating,” Peter Gray, professor of psychology at Boston College, tells the New York Post.
However, there may be a bit of psychological reasoning behind this trend too. Author Jordan Gaines Lewis writes about the concept in The New York Times, saying that adult coloring books can make you feel artsy, which spruces up life in general. This may allow people to tap into creativity.
Coloring for Calm
Coloring can be a calming activity -- as long as you don’t take it too seriously. Marygrace Berberian, a certified art therapist and the clinical assistant professor and program coordinator of the Graduate Art Therapy Program at NYU, tells CNN that coloring actually has therapeutic benefits that can reduce anxiety and stimulate focus. It can even make us more mindful.
CNN reports that researchers found a link between coloring and anxiety in 2005. Researchers discovered that those who colored mandalas (Hindu-based geometric figures) demonstrated reduced anxiety levels as opposed to doodlers, who showed no effects.
Coloring changes focus, which diminishes anxiety in general. "My experience has been that those participants who are more guarded find a lot of tranquility in coloring an image. It feels safer and it creates containment around their process," Berberian tells CNN.
But best of all, the answer as to why we love these books may have to do with our desire to feel younger. According to the New York Post, this may be similar to the young-adult book craze that adults have embraced. We want to feel younger, so we engage in youthful activities. (In fact, there’s even said to be an adult preschool in Brooklyn, N.Y.)
“I think it’s nostalgia,” Seira Wilson, senior books editor at Amazon.com tells the New York Post. “It’s a nostalgic feeling for the pace and how we used to be. People miss the experience of pen and paper.”
How to Get Into Coloring
If you’re looking to get into adult coloring, you don’t have to look far. Just head to your favorite bookstore and find a coloring book that appeals to you. You can find everything from themes to abstract options. You can color with crayons or colored pencils (which many adults love). You can even find a coloring kit that will contain everything you need.
Make an effort not to take the activity too seriously. Focus on the task at hand, but refrain from self-criticism, which takes the calming benefit out of coloring in general. If you screw up, consider it a chance to come to terms with imperfection.
You can make adult coloring a group activity. Look for adult coloring groups. And if you can’t find one, start your own. Much like scrapbooking clubs, this will give you a chance to socialize and get creative at the same time. You can even make a day event of the group by inviting friends to join you for lunch or dinner before or after you color.
Happy coloring!