Color us amazed: Adult coloring book craze is here to stay
Kate Middleton is a fan. So are millions of non-royals. We’re not talking fashion, but coloring books.
Prince William revealed last month that his wife, the Dutchess of Cambridge, is a fan of Johanna Basford’s books. The Scottish illustrator has sold millions of copies of her coloring books, including her first, Secret Garden, which has been translated into 14 languages.
Take a look in any crafts, book, big box or gift store this holiday season, and you’ll find a wide selection of adult coloring books, a category that hardly existed two years ago. Whether people are going for the nostalgia or stress relief, the category has clearly filled a gap in the market.
Kate Middleton is in on the adult coloring craze
Danielle Bisordi, a project manager who is working on a Ph.D. in physics, actually schedules time for coloring; not a lot, maybe 30 minutes a week, although when she started it was more. “I have to set aside time for relaxing, and this is relaxing.”
Basford was thrilled to receive recognition for her work with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) award, and even more so when Prince William revealed his wife liked her books and that there were several copies in their home.
“I think this underlines just how democratizing coloring is,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter if you live in a little loft apartment, a country cottage or even a palace – the appeal of picking up pens and pencils and being creative is felt by us all. Like so many other young, busy mums, it would seem Kate likes a little digital detox now and again too.”
Basford essentially started the coloring trend in 2013 with Secret Garden, which she described as “a passion project.” Initially asked to do a kids coloring book, she pitched back the idea for an adult book, and it worked. She has sold more than 20 million books worldwide and her books are everywhere.
“All I wanted to do was make this one beautiful book that I had pictured in my imagination,” she said. “I hoped that if I created something truly beautiful, that I myself would like to own and color, then hopefully a few like-minded people would feel the same and buy it. It was very much a passion project, something I worked on in the evenings and weekends alongside my day job of commercial illustration.”
Whimsical coloring books for grown-ups are a hit
More books followed as she saw the demand as people posted their creations online. “I paid attention to the feedback they posted; the images I saw repeatedly shared indicated what type of pictures people like to color, and I would answer comments and questions about bindings, paper quality and the format of the books. Being part of those conversations has been invaluable.”
Coloring book illustrator Judy Clement Wall, who has illustrated four coloring books, a postcard book and greeting card set just since September 2015, understands the demand.
“It just shows how much people need it,” she said. “It helps people get into a quiet mindset akin to meditation.”
Her latest, Inkspirations, Create While You Wait, was released in November and represents AARP’s entrance into the market, targeting the boomer generation in time for holiday shopping.
In a co-publishing venture by AARP and HCI, the 5” x 7” book slips into a purse or bag, so you can de-stress while waiting at the airport or doctor’s office.
Wall’s whimsical flowers, mandalas and animals accompany inspirational quotes. (such as “A good life is a collection of happy moments.” Denis Waitley.)
The illustrator is at work on two more books at the moment, and happy that there seems to be no end in sight.
“I just keep being amazed at its staying power,” she said. “But these books help people unwind. You feel at ease and comforted, and creative without starting on a blank page. When you color, you let go of the worries in your life for a little while.”
The second AARP title, Mindful Living: Creative Coloring Designs to Relax, Recharge and Renew, will be out in January.
“Studies show that mindfulness may help to improve working memory, decrease stress and boost the immune system,” said Jodi Lipson, director of AARP's book division, adding, "And, of course, coloring books are lots of fun and nostalgic.”
Not just for the boomers
It’s not just boomers who are coloring. Millennials are at it, too.
A Jersey City resident, 29-year-old Bisordi picked up a friend’s book at a New Year’s Eve party last year and has been coloring ever since. It was Basford's classic Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book.
“I love the intricacy of Basford’s illustrations. That’s what has drawn me to it,” she said. Now she is working on Lost Ocean, also by Basford, and is taking her time with it. “It’s all about the process, not the conclusion.”
And there is an element of creativity in it. “It’s not just coloring. I feel like I am doing art and expressing myself.”
While Basford considers coloring “digital detox,” the online community that helped spur her growth is definitely part of the phenomenon. There are Facebook coloring groups, coloring-related Meetups (more than 100 with a combined total of nearly 21,000 colorists at last count), coloring subscription clubs, and hundreds (if not thousands) of coloring ideas via Pinterest. It’s not surprising to find at least a couple coloring books on Amazon’s best-selling list at any given time.
A check of the Barnes & Noble in White Plains, N.Y., revealed hundreds of titles in genres that reach across the spectrum: from superheroes and endangered species to Disney and rock stars.
“Coloring and creative subjects are good businesses for Barnes & Noble,” said Alex Peruzzi, VP of Gift at Barnes & Noble. “We continue to have space dedicated to coloring and artists supplies in our stores this holiday, providing the best selection of activities that help customers escape their everyday pressures, and to just relax and be creative.”
Mary Beth McMahon first heard about coloring books last summer while listening to a rock radio station. The DJs were excited about the new David Bowie: Starman, A Coloring Book, and it sounded so good that she went online to buy it.
“It has thick pages, great illustrations, quotes from rockers, and the cover is already half-colored, so it makes it easier to get started,” said McMahon, who lives in Dutchess County.
Since then, the semi-retired copy editor has been buying the budget-friendly books (typically under $20, some with pencils included) as Christmas gifts, and there’s a category for just about any taste as well as budget. (Pencils and gel pens are generally preferred over crayons.)
Of course, in time for the holidays, there are plenty of seasonal choices, including Basford’s Johanna’s Christmas and one by best-selling author Max Lucado, who is also a Christian minister.
He offers a companion coloring book to his recent release, Because of Bethlehem: Love Is Born, Hope Is Here, where he explores the Christmas story. The coloring book has a two-color foil effect on the cover and utilizes quotes from the hardcover.
“You do not need to have read the hardcover to enjoy the coloring book, although the book is great,” said Laura Minchew, SVP and publisher, Gift Books at HCCP Publishing. “Max has an incredible way of capturing truth and emotion in just a few words. He is remarkably quotable,” she said. “We’ve seen good sales. Coloring books have been quite a phenomenon over the last 12-15 months. It’s a new category and has had a stellar growth rate with some of the highest sales in the inspirational area. People enjoy coloring books, and I don’t see it going away.”
In the Because of Bethlehem coloring book, the illustrations are not so intricately designed, so it is good “for family time,” she said. “You can enjoy coloring a page in one sitting, and spend a relaxing, peaceful moment together and reflect while you color.”
Basford, for one, has been surprised by her success.
“We printed 13,000 copies of the first book and I was seriously worried we wouldn’t sell them all – in fact I rang my mum and begged her to buy as many copies as she could for all our friends and family," she said.
When the letter arrived informing her of her OBE honor, Basford thought there had been a mistake and the letter was meant for her husband (who did actually receive an honor himself for his brewing: he runs UK craft brewery, BrewDog).
“They were very nice and reassured me I was indeed being invited to the palace to receive the honor,” she said. “Needless to say my Mum was very pleased, both about the OBE and that she didn’t have to purchase a few hundred coloring books!"