* sponsored post: Skyhorse Publishing gave me two of their newest titles to review.
Coloring had always been a favorite past time of mine. As a child, I would get lost with my crayons and a collection of coloring books. I would carefully color each page with a thoughtfully chosen color. Even as I grew up, I would find myself lying on the floor with my much younger cousins coloring away with them. So when adult coloring books came on the stage in 2013, I wasn’t surprised by their popularity.
There is certain nostalgia about coloring, perhaps it takes us back to our childhoods and simpler times without the pressure of plugging in to every digital device. Whatever its allure it is a booming business and all the rage among adults. Five of the top selling books on Amazon are adult coloring books. Barnes and Nobel carries over one hundred titles from which to choose. Once the bloggers start writing about it, it just takes off like wild fire. For some time now, I have seen blog article after blog article of women sharing their love of adult coloring. The Huffington Post has even featured its own articles espousing the benefits of adult coloring.
When I discovered the hobby back in the early spring while wandering Michael’s Crafts, I had no idea it was so immensely popular it was. While children’s coloring books tell a story, adult coloring books allow one to become an artist, in a manner of speaking. Adult coloring books are a series of themed black and white patterns offering a myriad of color options based solely on your imagination. The choice of patterns is wide ranging with the most popular being paisley, and mandala.
I am a fan of paisley patterns but I am always willing to try another designs. It seems with over two thousand titles on the market there will be plenty of books to check out too. Right now, I am enjoying Skyhorse Publishing’s Whimsical Designs. They call it “a fun anti-stress coloring book” and they’d be right.
Whimsical Designs is one of twelve titles Skyhorse Publishing recently added to their already popular titles featuring mandala and paisley motifs. Each of the new titles features 46 black and white designs on single sided perforated paper. I love that removing each design from the book makes it easier to color. Trying to color with a binding in the way is not meditative, but frustrating.
When I started coloring, I never thought that psychologists touted the practice of coloring as therapeutic. Some suggest coloring with a premade design helps alleviate anxiety, while others say it’s a a form of meditation. Clinical psychologist Kimberly Wulfert of EverydayHealth.com says, “In coloring, you’re being mindful, and when you move in a rhythmic fashion for an extended period of time, that becomes a meditation.”
For me the act of coloring helps quiet the “noise” in my head, returns me to my center after a hectic day and eases my stress. I have actually discovered that the adult coloring helps me focus on one thing at a time and keeps my ADHD brain in check. I find it’s a great way to wind my day down before bedtime.
