The Pioneer Newspaper is hosting a coloring contest

The adult coloring craze is not fading. Every bookstore now carries a selection of adult coloring books. The addicting hobby attracted masses of people.

            According to a Fortune article, one of the major reasons for the giant boost in print book sales this year is due to adult coloring books. Some people credit the hobby with being “relaxing,” “therapeutic,” or “mindful.”

Some other neuroscientists explain that coloring may give people an escape from their everyday lives in which they don’t necessarily get to exercise their free will, creativity or decision-making skills. The act of coloring and deciding what colors will go into which white spot allows people to feel in control. 

            Michal Ann Strahilevitz, a behavioral economist said, “every grown up has an inner child that just wants to play, and coloring books are perfect for that.” She also noted that there is a nostalgic element of reliving one’s childhood.

She said, “these books let us be creative with choice of color and create something lovely and unique, and best of all, we don’t have to be any good at drawing to make something pretty.” She credits the sales drive of adult coloring books to the sheer variety and choices that the person who is coloring has.

             Marygrace Berberian, an art therapist, is the director of the Art Therapy in Schools program at New York University. Berberian said, “engaging in self-care is important for everyone. We need to find things that are restorative.”

            There has been extensive study about art therapy and its benefits. Some researchers claim that using coloring books at hospitals reduces the length of hospital visits by alleviating stress and anxiety. Some people even say that the hobby can work as a pain reliever by distracting people from it.

Richard Carolan and Donna Betts, who work at the American Art Therapy Association, said that adult coloring books allow people to use “art for self-soothing purposes and their success-oriented nature is conducive to fulfillment of the need for instant gratification.”

            For students, adult coloring may come in handy has a creative and productive study break.

            This quarter, the Pioneer newspaper is holding our own Coloring Contest! Start and join the adult coloring phenomenon or show off your coloring skills. Please come by the Pioneer office in Cascade 323 to pick up a coloring page.