Bunnies, and kittens, and bears, oh my....

Since I recently posted about Lisa Frank and the Adult Coloring Trend it seems appropriate that I mention the epic announcement that the Lisa Frank Adult Coloring Book is "coming soon"!

Announced on Instagram last week, the news has the blogs a buzzin'. So far only one image has been released but it has all us '90s gals dreaming about pandas and unicorns and rainbows and kittens....

So what's the full story behind the mysterious Lisa Frank empire? Read about the dark side in this 2013 jezebel article. 

Outside the Lines

There's an incredible trend of coloring books for adults right now. It is being promoted as a way to de-stress and connect with an your inner creative self.

Coloring provides not only a chance to unwind after a busy, stressful day, but also a quiet activity—a recess from laptops and cell phones. It reconnects us with childhood experiences while providing brain stimulation. It is an opportunity for play that ultimately... well... keeps us sane!* And social media offers a place to share  creations with more people than the refrigerator door did when we were kids.

Johanna Basford's coloring books for adults have sold over a million of copies all around the world. It's a growing trend that is being encouraged by psychologists.

But if you're not one for predetermined pictures — you could try to Zentangle. Zentangle is basically advanced doodling.

The idea is to created intricate designs through the use of repetitive patterns. The process gives you the freedom to create while encouraging well-being and focus.
It is a method created in Massachusetts by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts in 2006. The feelings promoted while Zentangling are not unlike mediation. Hence the zen in the name (I assume)... the zen will bring you inner peace, while you create a tangle of  overlapping, intersecting patterns

So, perhaps it's time that after a long day, we reach for that 12-pack of Crayolas rather than that 6-pack of beer. OR, better yet, maybe bars can start offering colorable placemats and crayons for exhausted adults at happy hour! 

Yeah... I'd drink at that bar.

*a study of 26 mass murderers discovered that 90% of them had lacked playtime during childhood : http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/why-adults-are-buying-coloring-books-for-themselves 

Coloring... Inside, Outside, All Over the Lines.

When telling people about my job, I often find it's easier to just say, "I color all day."

But now adults are invited to do just that! With new studies showing that play benefits adults and stimulates brain activity, Johanna Basford is topping the best-sellers list with her adult coloring books, Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest (adult as in for adults... not as in X-rated).

According to recent research, play benefits adults immensely, as a de-stressing technique and a method for preventing darken moods. Coloring uses brain areas related to motor skills and the senses, triggering both logic and creativity. According to psychologists, The relaxation coloring provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a part of our brain involved in controlling emotion affected by stress."In simplest terms, coloring has a de-stressing effect because when we focus on a particular activity, we focus on it and not on our worries."

Coloring is just one play-centered activity that is becoming popular for adults. Businesses and products supporting activities encouraging laughter are capitalizing on this trend. Read more here.