Today I want to talk about adult colouring books. Yes, they are a thing now.
Since I am now on the other side of my degree, deadlines met and exams completed, I can look back and say that I wouldn’t have made it through without my daily colouring sessions. Adult colouring books have taken a recent surge in popularity, and as a self-confessed lover of these books I totally get why. Throughout my time at university, I struggled with insomnia. After long days of pouring over books, writing essays and creating presentations, my brain found it incredibly difficult to switch off at night. However, I found that colouring books provided my busy brain with something to focus on that at the same time was relaxing. My favourite of these books is the ‘Can’t Sleep Colouring Book’ by independent publishers Michael O’Mara Books who are leading the way in adult colouring books. The patterns and designs in this book encourage relaxation with their repetitive curves and swirls, making for very soothing colouring. The designs are also not too intricate and fiddly, perfect for someone who is trying to get to sleep. I also love that the thickness of the paper meant that I could use either pens or pencils. Here’s an example of one of the pages I have been working on from the book:
My enjoyment of colouring has continued even now I’m not so busy with a degree. Luckily for me, there’s a huge range of colouring books out at the moment to satisfy my colouring cravings. Publishers have really picked up on this growing trend, and now there are colouring books for people practicing mindfulness, for cat lovers and even a colouring book solely of Ryan Gosling pictures. Designs have got more creative, intricate and unusual, perhaps best displayed in ‘Animorphia’, a colouring book that is visually stunning before it’s even been flooded with colour. With all of these different colouring books the same outcome is always achieved; there’s a satisfaction in a completed page of colouring. This is another reason why I have clicked so much with colouring. As someone who loves to be productive, adult colouring books provide me with a quick fix way of feeling that sense of productivity. That is why these books are also great for people who are not particularly creative or artistic. Most of the hard work has been done, you can just sit back and colour and still feel as if you have achieved something artistically.
So next time you are in need of an activity to unwind, try a spot of colouring. It’s a welcomed change from the time we spend staring at a screen. Get familiar with pen and paper again and let your brain switch off.
Now excuse me, I’m off to find my Crayola’s.
If you are interested in buying or finding out more about the colouring books mentioned in this post, please check out the Michael O’Mara Books website: http://www.mombooks.com/
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