Say hello to Crayola Color Escapes. Adult coloring books are fast becoming a huge trend, and with coloring giant Crayola now throwing its 12-count Watercolor Pencils into the mix, it seems the trend isn’t about to go away any time soon.
These aren’t the blank pages of princesses and castles you remember from your childhood — Crayola’s “premium coloring kits specially designed for adults” are much more intricate, and are intended to bring you into a state of mindfulness and zen and whatever else coloring is supposed to do for overworked, overstressed adults. In Crayola’s words: “Whether it’s about reliving your childhood or tapping into your peaceful place, Color Escapes offer a soothing, creative experience that’s easy to do and easy on your mind.”
Easy to do and easy on your mind is a big piece of the adult coloring book trend. As Atlantic writer Julie Beck says in her piece extolling the virtues of adult coloring, “coloring offers that relief and mindfulness without the paralysis that a blank page can cause. It’s easier in the way that ordering from a restaurant with a small menu is easier than deciding what you want at Denny’s, where you could eat almost anything.”
Indeed, it’s called the paradox of choice, and it’s a real thing.
Crayola’s kits—there are four different themes, from nature to abstract patterns—come with 12 sheets of paper and three sets of coloring implements. So yeah, there’s still some choice involved, but selecting markers versus crayons seems easier than, say, figuring out what you want to draw and starting from scratch.
And you’ll have to pay for your zen. The adult coloring kits come at the very adult price of $24.99.
The real question here is, what do you do with the sheets after you’re done coloring them in? Hang them on the fridge? Or just stick them in an envelope and mail them to Mom?
