During my freshman year of college, my roommate and I used to spend time coloring pictures and making cute little nametags for our door like the RAs. We made signs for our door too to count down to vacations and holidays. It was always fun, and we colored the most during final exam week.

See the thing about coloring is that it is a great stress reliever. Maybe that’s why kids tend to be extremely relaxed and laid back. Or maybe it’s because they don’t have to pay bills.

Interestingly enough there is a new trend out there: adult coloring books.

I noticed them the first time at Barnes and Noble. Not long ago I saw them at Michael’s too, and it made me think about them again. I was in a mood to color, so I thought they’d be perfect. I picked them up and looked through them. The flower version was pretty much all circular and paisley patterns. The others had intricate patterns too. One even had a fully colored version on the left for you to copy on the right.

Clearly there must be a market for these things, but do adults really need complicated patterns with tiny areas to color inside of? Honestly, it seemed like that would just take the fun out of it.

I wasn’t coloring to do something complicated and intricate. I was doing it so I could enjoy some creative time in a low stress situation and my mind could take a break in order to more or less reboot itself. For that reason, I left with a wintry coloring book that was no doubt intended for children and headed home where I opened my Sesame Street fall coloring book to enjoy some time with The Count and Cookie Monster. The other coloring book will be my friend once winter hits, but I’m not trying to encourage its early arrival, hence the fall book.

Do adults need these complicated coloring books to relieve stress or do they only cause more stress? Has anyone tried them?

Your Turn
What do you think about the adult coloring books? Have you tried one or thought about it? Do you have an opinion on whether they are any better than children’s coloring books or do you think children’s coloring books are for adults too?

I love hearing your opinions! Feel free to take the conversation in a different direction if something else sparks your interest!

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