Saturday, January 2, 2016

Coloring books aren't just for kids anymore

This Christmas a whole bunch of people in our family received coloring books for presents and none of them were children.  My college-aged niece, wife, and mother-in-law all received coloring books during our family's gift exchange.  Coloring books aren't just for kids anymore.  Many adults are beginning to take coloring up as a hobby and books with intricate patterns and detailed drawings are beginning to skyrocket up the publishing industry's best seller lists.

Health professionals are encouraging this new trend noting that for adults taking some time out to color can reduce stress, spark creativity, maintain fine motor skills, help keep your mind sharp, and can be just plain fun to do.  Several studies have shown that coloring can also have a therapeutic value in dealing with anxiety, cancer, depression, and post-traumatic disorders.  We have a cupboard full of coloring books that my kids are always using but I can't recall the last time I spent some time doing some coloring.  During my last routine doctor's visit, my physician warned me that my blood pressure was starting to become troubling so maybe I should take some time to relax a bit with one of these new adult focused coloring books.

This video shares some information about the benefits for adults when it comes to enjoying a coloring book:



While many of these adult focused coloring books are marketed to the ladies there are plenty of selections that will appeal to guys as well.  Plus with the popularity, and profitability, of this new trend a bunch of new coloring books are on their way to retailers to join the existing ones that are already on store shelves.  Here are a few suggestion that dads, and moms, who enjoy the geeky side of life will probably appreciate:

Art of Coloring Star Wars: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation 
This coloring book is filled with pen-and-ink illustrations that portray exotic sci-fi landscapes, elaborate patterns inspired by the movies, and memorable characters from the Star Wars universe.



Secret New York: Color Your Way To Calm
Color your way through the boroughs of New York City with this book filled with images of everyday life in the Big Apple. 

Coloring Dragons

This coloring book is filled with fantastic imagery of these mythic beasts from John Howe, the concept artist for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.



Color Your Own Age of Ultron

Comic books aren't just for kids anymore and neither are coloring books.  Marvel has published a coloring book aimed at adults who enjoyed last year's blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron movie. Also coming out in 2016 will be Color Your Own Deadpool and Color Your Own Civil War based upon those two upcoming movies.



The Official A Game of Thrones Coloring Book (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Ideal for any fan of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO's Game of Thrones, this coloring book contains forty-five exclusive illustrations of the characters and places in Westeros.

Creative Haven Steampunk Devices Coloring Book

30 illustrations of flying machines, locomotives, submarines, watches and other curious contraptions with a steampunk flair.

Lost Ocean: An Inky Adventure & Coloring Book

Wonderful pen and ink illustrations take you on an underwater adventure through coral reefs and barnacle-studded shipwrecks to discover intricate shells and lost pirate treasure.  The sea life and backgrounds are as colorful as you want to make them.



Highlights Hidden Pictures: A Coloring Book for Grown-up Children

My grandma who was a librarian used to always give me a Highlights Magazine subscription for my birthday when I was a child.  Now this iconic children's brand has a publication featuring a nostalgic collection of Hidden Picture puzzles meant for a grown up audience.  Color the puzzles for a relaxing activity that will remind you of the fun you had as a kid doing the hidden picture puzzles in Highlights Magazine.

Plus coming out soon will be:

Doctor Who Coloring Book

This book features 96 pages filled with some of the best quotes from the television series and out-of-this-world images featuring the escapades of Doctor Who that will delight any Whovian.

Harry Potter Magical Creatures Coloring Book

Discover the magical beings and extraordinary beasts from the world of Harry Potter in this 96 page coloring book.  It also includes a selection of concept art and film stills from the making of the Harry Potter films to your coloring creativity.

There is even a Walking Dead coloring book based upon the AMC television show coming out in the Fall of 2016.

If you haven't colored in awhile with selections like the ones mentioned above you won't need to use your child's Care Bears, Paw Patrol, or Scooby Doo coloring book to have some fun....although there's nothing wrong with using a kiddie one if you want to.  Hey its all about relaxing and having fun! So get out those crayons, markers or colored pencils and embrace your inner artist.

6 comments:

  1. I've heard coloring books are the new trend for adults, and that they can help relax you too.

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  2. I absolutely love these. When my daughter was little I always hoarded the Precious Moments coloring books because they were so pretty. I definitely plan to invest in one because I do suffer with PTSD and anxiety disorder and would love to see if they really do help.

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  3. I love that people are coloring to help relax and deal with all the issues you listed above!

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  4. I know a few adults that enjoy coloring. I even bought a book for my adult daughter.

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  5. I love coloring! Always have! Now I don't have to shop in the kids section ;-) I got the Doctor Who one and a different Harry Potter one for Christmas, I can't wait for them to come in the mail I'm super pumped to color them

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  6. I received a few adult coloring books from a publisher recently and I'm enjoying them. I don't think it's something that I'd do all the time, but pulling it out to color once in a while is fun. Thanks for sharing the video on the benefits of coloring. That was good to watch.

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