Have you joined the “adult coloring book” craze? Surely you have seen the displays front and center at stores like Barnes and Noble, Michaels and Target. It seems that everywhere we look there are adult coloring books with all kinds of themes.
While there are a multitude of on-line articles, this trend is also making the mainstream press on a regular basis. Last week, there were two articles within three days, one in The Washington Post Weekly and the other in our local paper.
According to the Virginian Pilot, this “fad” has gone from being a human-interest story to being a force to be reckoned with in the retail world. Barnes and Noble credits coloring books with providing “a tail wind to the chain’s total sales in the last three quarters.” Michaels stores “has developed exclusive titles to try to keep a leg up on competitors.” Crayola has launched a set of books and pencils “that is aimed squarely at adults.”
Why are coloring books becoming big business? Because they work. And here’s why. As soon as you pick up the book and pencils, something special starts to happen in your brain. It phases between different types of activity. There is a “thinking” phase while you choose a color, and then a “coasting” phase while you are coloring in a space. During this “coasting” phase, your noggin gets flooded with dopamine, and ahhhhh, the relaxation begins.
Sure, it’s more complex than that, but I hope you get the idea. Last month, my webinar went into more detail and also showed you how to make some of your own simple patterns. But if you don’t like the idea of creating your own, I highly recommend that you grab a book (here’s a funny one) and give it a try.
Consider this suggestion though. Before you start, set an intention. Think of a problem you need to solve or a situation that’s giving you grief. Then set that thought aside and let your colored pencils do their magic.
You will certainly de-stress, and you might get an AH-HA moment out of it too!
When was the last time you colored?
