Tuesday 28 April 2015

Free Your Inner Child

at reasonable prices.

A colouring book, a packet of crayons and coloured pencils, a rubber and frequently licked forefinger, and a tongue busily poking out from between tiny teeth, what else was there to keep a small child occupied on a rainy seaside Bank Holiday Monday? Any boring place adults dragged you to became just about bearable if you hadn’t left behind your half finished colouring book, or, bliss, been given a new one as a bribe.

Nowadays even tiny tots are digital natives and carry their smart phone or tablet around with them. Parents don’t seem to find this at all outlandish. For all I know they have drawing apps on the gadgets and doodle childish scribbles on a screen rather than a nice rough paper book with creases and dog-eared corners. Not to mention chocolate ice cream stains.

It seems, however, that parents have rediscovered colouring books for themselves. At one point in the past few weeks colouring books for adults were rated first and second on Amazon’s bestseller lists. When I first saw mention of them I thought the ‘adult’ part meant just what it usually means, sexually explicit, a bit smutty, porno for retarded types who need to follow graphic instructions.

Far from it. I have since learned that these colouring book have romantic, if somewhat misleading, titles like ‘Enchanted Forest’ (hm, that could still give you the wrong impression?), 'Secret Garden' (golly!)  or 'Animal Kingdom’ (Roar!). Do you think the titles are deliberately chosen to tempt you?

Then there are the people who are keen to help you de-stress yourself, find yourself through art, realise what a busy mum you are and how a return to mindfulness can make you into a better person. There are adult colouring books to cater for all needs, therapy on the (not so) cheap for you and a nice little earner for all graphic artists who get on to the bandwagon in time.

I expect this craze will die a natural death once the market is saturated and consumers, beg pardon, recipients of therapy, realise that they had perhaps best leave childish pursuits to children. In the meantime, if colouring books light your candle, feel free to indulge. In small doses it’s probably harmless. Now where did I leave the coloured pencils I bought decades ago?



31 comments:

  1. I know exactly where my coloured pencils are and they're all nicely sharpened.
    I even have colouring books gathering dust somewhere.

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  2. Also seniors are given coloring books in nursing homes.

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  3. I can verify that colouring in (a child's colouring in book, nothing as advanced as an adult version) is very relaxing. When I gave in to my then 3 year old grandson's pleas for 'Bigger Bus' (what he calls an ipad because of a game he likes to play on it) I sat beside him and picked up his pencils. He was happy with this arrangement until I chose the wrong colour for the sky. I wonder when he will be visiting next? And will he bring the pencils?

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  4. I have whole art kits tucked away in a drawer and certainly need to work on that again before I lose my eyesight or ability to draw!

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  5. Interesting, I heard of this recently and could hardly believe my ears. There are so many things to do to relax oneself, like gardening or going for walks. Time enough for colouring books when i am in my second childhood:)

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  6. My stepmother mentioned these coloring books to me, and I am thinking of buying her one for her birthday, with crayons and colored pencils.

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  7. They were all over FB and if they're all over FB I'm am so out. I want something useful at the end of my efforts, that's why I knit.

    Infantilizing yet again, what but odds if it turns your crank and gets your face out of your device.

    XO
    WWW

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  8. I know I'm getting older, as the world and it's inhabitants seem increasingly incomprehensible to me



    ALOHA from Honolulu,
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^=

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  9. I can imagine colouring in could be quite relaxing and unlike anything you seem to do on the internet, you can finish you coloured in piece. My nearly eight year old niece is quite tech savvy, but she still enjoys colouring in and always has.

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  10. How avant garde! You're on the cusp of something new, but what:)

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  11. What? WHAT?
    Oooooops! Did I miss something? Of course I went straight to Amazon, well and here we are: Coloring books for adults, not one, not two, it is a trend, a new TREND! Balance, Calm, Enchanting, Mystic, Haven, STRESS RELIEVING, Sacred, Flowers and Treasures and Beautiful - I NEED to have one of these, they will fix me up real good. Imagine, hours of quietly filling in these drawings and mandalas with the crayons, and bringing them to life, instead of being bored and thinking negative thoughts. Then to start breathing deeeeeeply and easily, ahhhhh. And then feeling refreshed and full of energy again. YES! Thank you Friko for bringing my attention to these life savors. I can go to enchanted forests now and color heavenly flowers, or open the mystical treasure casket, instead of the feared Pandora Box, and be assured all will be well and happiness will be found!!!!!
    WOW! :-) :-) :-)

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  12. Doodling is more my style than coloring a drawn page, but there's something appealing about sitting down with a small child and coloring alongside. I've seen my daughter-in-law do that with her 4 year old. It could be relaxing or terribly frustrating! I'm glad to see something REAL come to the forefront as opposed to all the screen time.

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  13. My sister mentioned those colouring books for adults the other day, one of her colleagues apparently has this discovered as her new hobby.
    You are probably right about this trend going to have a life cycle like all trends do. Much as I used to love my colouring books as a child, I don't think I'll start on it now. I already have my "childish" hobby: playing The Sims on the computer (virtual doll houses).

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  14. I suppose it is a bit like doodling except that you have something pretty at the end of it.

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  15. I have some tucked away.
    Bought years ago and need to find.
    Remember coloring the beautiful flowers and butterflys relaxing.

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  16. I just read about this in "Slate" news website yesterday - "Get Colouring - Get relaxed". Ah, nicely written post and most informative. I still colour with the greats and grands and have a bit o fun doing it. Colouring here is not expensive - like $12 for colouring book - nope, maybe 79 cents or $1.19 for a good colouring book. Great Post Friko and I hope you found those coloured pencils - I am still only using Crayola Crayons. lol and have a wonderful day.

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  17. I have a small sketchbook and colored pencils I would take with me on river trips but I didn't often have the down time to use them. I have a really cool drawing app on my iPad that the grandgirls use. They are better at using it than I am.

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  18. Friko, I've heard of these coloring books for adults, but have yet to actually see one. It seems such a funny idea. Although doing needlepoint (tapestry over your way) seems a very similar pasttime, using colored yarns to fill in a pre-printed canvas. (I have several incomplete needpoint projects around here somewhere, and will return to them eventually....)

    I'm currently trying to do more of my own drawing and breaking up those sessions with sock knitting. Each of these activities really seems to take me to another zone.

    Perhaps I should be creating some line drawings for adults to color?

    xo

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  19. The adult coloring books have been around a long time. Maybe they are just now becoming popular.
    Zentangling and doodling are very popular, too. I'm for anything that puts something into a hand and uses paper.

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  20. I color at restaurants. It IS soothing.

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  21. I had no idea adult coloring was in vogue. Interesting!

    =)

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  22. I'm going to make a bit of a weird case FOR coloring books. Not everyone is an artist who can draw (or feel good about what they DO draw or doodle) and they love color. There is something incredibly relaxing for those so inclined to like it (and not everyone does) about picking a color and filling in a space -- whether that space is in a book already printed (less creative) or a doodle or Zentangle they did themselves (more creative). Is it art? Not really. But it's mellow. And it's color. You really can clear out your head and open the thinking zones by doing nothing but simultaneously doing something.

    When you think about it, it is a simple, repetitive act not unlike needlepoint stitching or knitting a basic pattern. Of course, with those, you end up with a product a bit more practical. But there is no guilt about throwing away a color sheet! (Big guilt to throw away a completed needlepoint canvas or knit scarf! And believe me, I have way too many of both.)

    Plus, there is an additional benefit in that coloring and that is if you do it with a kid or someone else. When doing a project like that involving little cognitive action (besides whether to use sky blue or turquoise), you'll find that the conversation flows. And it's very easy to talk about things that might otherwise be difficult. Death, bullying, what's popular or not, what's really happening in their little lives. I find doing collage the same thing -- when I do it for myself it is art, sometimes planned, sometimes semi-mindless. But when I do it with kids (for ten years I worked with grieving children and we used writing, art, play as part of it all), the discussions just flowed. It was like turning on a faucet. We didn't use coloring books -- more drawing and doodles, but there was a lot of love and anger and sadness/confusion expressed on those pages -- and in their words.

    I say whatever floats your boat. Not everyone can walk or garden and wants to do something different or pretty. Go for it! Which reminds me... where ARE my colored pencils?! (End of rant!)

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  23. I've never been one to color inside the lines, so I don't think I'd like the coloring books. They would free the inner rebellious child in me. Remember, my mother at a month short of turning 99 is still alive. I might start bucking her again and try to free the real me that she wanted to keep inside the lines. Wait, she still does that.

    I taught my kids to draw on their own. I barely even allowed coloring books. I thought they were too restrictive. Now, I see what free thinkers they all are and wonder if I should have insisted on coloring books where lines were to be followed. Maybe, I should have even gotten them those paint by number sets.

    I won't be buying an adult coloring book.

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  24. Working for years with pre-schoolers , I seem to have spent a lot of my adult life 'Colouring In" and agree . It's relaxing and an ice breaker with children . I'm still doing it now .
    But may I also make a case for Plasticine ?

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  25. David says there were no coloring books or crayons when he was a kid. He's that old.

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  26. I had this idea, several years ago, that I would try drawing. What possessed me, I can't imagine, as I'd tried drawing when much younger and quickly found my limits! What attracted me really, I think, was the display of colored pencils at the local stationery store. Not that simple twelve-pack, but dozens and dozens, beyond colors I'd even begun to imagine. I began to amass a collection of them, at least fifty. I've used them probably . . . twice . . . three times tops.

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  27. How interesting to hear that colouring books have resurfaced. I remember my mother buying me a 'magic paint book' where colours appeared if I used a wet brush over the pictures. I guess that the adult colouring books would be quite soothing, like jigsaws.

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  28. Hi Friko - yes 'adult colouring books' are all around us .. and somewhere I have a post with some ideas for it .. which I intended to read. I'm not artist sadly - love colours .. but not when pencil in hand. Though I think many will love the craze - as you say 'fad for a while' .. we'll see ..

    Take care and enjoy your colouring over the weekend?! Walking Millie and watching the daisies, dandelions and all things grow ... let's hope the weather isn't as dire as it said it might be .. cheers Hilary

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  29. This is only the beginning, as this article about the new adult pre-school in Manhattan makes clear. Never mind coloring. For only $399 - $999 per week, you can have nap time, finger-painting, and show and tell. Milk and cookies, too, probably -- although I'm sure it would be more likely to be green shakes and carrot sticks.

    I've nothing against ways to encourage creativity, and there's no question coloring could be a stress reducer. But I'm more concerned about the multitude of ways we're encouraging the infantilization of adults. It used to be considered a good thing to grow up and become independent: in thinking and action. Perhaps the whole point is to turn us into good little boys and girls who will do what our "parents" tell us to do. I suspect you can spot the ones who want to be Mommy and Daddy. :-)

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  30. Hmmm.... I'm not sure I closed the tag on that link, but I can't see the comment. If I didn't, feel free to fix it up.
    Short-term memory of two minutes isn't good.

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