It’s coloring books gone wild.
Those stay-in-the-lines books that are the mainstay of cheap entertainment for kids are a tonic for adults.
There are more than 2,000 titles on the market geared for grown-ups to de-stress and self-express.
Books on everything from flowers and twirls to Harry Potter and Kim Kardashian.
This is no joke.
This is serious holiday shopping.
Get Hallmark’s crabby irreverent “Maxine” for Nana. “Game of Thrones” for Dad. Goddesses for Mom. Minecraft for the tweens. Steampunk fashion for teens.
“Basically anything is turning into a coloring book,” said Jessica Perez, manager of University Book Store Mill Creek.
The Mill Creek store has about 100 coloring book titles, postcards and book marks.
It’s led to a spin-off market for colored pencils and sharpeners. Markers and gel pens also work.
On Amazon, two adult coloring books are in the Top 10 best sellers. “Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns” by Blue Star Coloring ($12.99) has 45 detailed patterns. “Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book” ($15.95) is by Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford, the coloring book queen whose intricate drawings are credited with the explosion in adult coloring.
Samples from Basford’s new book, “Lost Ocean,” will be given out at the Mill Creek bookstore’s “Color Me Happy Hour” on Tuesday. The free coloring event, coupled with a wine tasting, filled up weeks before the event.
“We capped it off at 80,” Perez said.
Don’t worry, there are plans for another. Why wait? Check with friends and social media to see if there’s a “coloring circle” near you. Or start your own. It has become a social activity at cafes, community centers and waiting rooms.
Most colorers are women, but more guys are getting in the game as titles expand to manly themes (sex, sports, zombies).
Art is therapeutic for adults, according to Dr. Paul Schoenfeld, director of The Everett Clinic’s Center for Behavioral Health and Family Talk columnist.
“We all remember the pleasure of coloring as children — filling in the space with reds, yellows and greens,” Schoenfeld said. “Adults can rediscover the enjoyment of doing something that is fun, but doesn’t require effort. So much of modern life is effortful and demanding. Adult art, whether it be coloring in a book, drawing, painting or taking photos with our smart phones can provide relief from the stress and strains of everyday life.”
Is coloring in the lines really art?
“People create their own things. I haven’t seen two pieces that look alike,” said Aly Tornblad, a supervisor at the Mill Creek bookstore. “I think it’s considered art.”
She’s an artist and she does it.
“It is really relaxing,” Tornblad said. “Sit down with a coloring book and clear your mind, that’s what people like about.”
And when you’re done?
Frame it. Give it to friends. Put it on your refrigerator.
Turn the page and start a new one.
Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
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