Coloring Books for Adults

Coloring Books for Adults are Selling by the Millions

Have you heard about the British illustrator whose coloring book Secret Garden is selling by the millions? Her name is Johanna Basford, and her coloring book has been translated into 14 languages to date. While million-copy sales and multi-language translation are impressive, what is truly amazing about Secret Garden is that it was created specifically for adults. Coloring Books for Adults!

What?  Coloring Books for Adults are Selling by the Millions?

As crazy as this sounds, coloring books aren’t just for kids anymore; Basford’s book sales testify to this. Coloring books for adults! In fact, Secret Garden outsold France’s A-list cookbooks! If you want to know what the big deal is about Secret Garden, take a look at it. It’s filled with whimsical hand-drawn illustrations just begging to be filled in with delicious color.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “C’mon – France’s bestselling cookbooks were outsold by a coloring book! Why? Why do adults want to sit around and color?” A better question is, “Why not?” Why shouldn’t adults spend their free time doing some type of playful activity (such as coloring)? Why shouldn’t adults put more play into each day? Health professionals say they should. Coloring Books for Adults!

Why You Should Put More Play In Your Day

If you were to ask a psychologist if a playful activity like coloring could be beneficial to you, he or she would probably say that it could. In his article The Psychological Case for Adult Play Time, Jared Keller wrote, “According to research, play can relieve stress, boost creativity, improve brain function, and improve our relationships with other people by fostering trust with others…coloring books and ball pits are much-needed therapy for the inner child in all of us.”

The concept of a coloring book for adults isn’t really as wild as it sounds at first. After all, doesn’t everybody—adults included—need some type of creative outlet? Sure, they do. Basford’s book sales send a powerful message that adults want to be carefree, childlike (not childish) and imaginative. In other words, they want to play.

Not Ready to Take Up Coloring? Try Paint-by-number.

Like coloring, paint-by-number may seem a bit childlike. However, thousands of adults enjoy spending their free time enjoying a digital paint-by-number system called SegPlay PC. Unlike watching TV, surfing the web or hanging out on Facebook, a digital paint-by-number program is good for the brain. Who knows, digital paint-by-number may be the playful activity your inner child longs for. Coloring Books for Adults are Selling by the Millions!

What Is Your Favorite Childlike Pastime?  Coloring Books for Adults are Selling by the Millions!

Do you have a treasured pastime that others may think is downright childlike? Be it finger painting, building tree houses or coloring, we want to know about it! (We also would like to know if you think all this is utter nonsense.) Share your comments in the section below.