In the past couple years, coloring has made a serious comeback! I mean, to be fair, some of us never really stopped coloring… but stores, hashtags, and everyone we know (it seems like) has a coloring book on hand these days! I’m not mad at it at all, honestly. I think it’s great that it’s become popular because there are now so many resources, products, and options for the hobby that is such a good relaxation tool! Not to mention there’s been a severe decrease in the stigma attached to coloring as an adult. Something that, up until now, has been written off as a playful “children’s” activity is now something so socially acceptable you’ll see people busting their coloring books out at bar counters during happy hours!
(If I’m being honest, the fact that it took the term “adult coloring books” to remove the stigma kind of irks me as someone who advocates constantly for the need for play in our lives, regardless of chronological age, but it’s a step in the right direction and I can’t turn my nose up at that!)
Now that coloring is so popular, National Coloring Book Day is bound to get more attention than the last decade when people glossed over it like most other unusual holidays. I’m excited for people to not only get reanimated about coloring on August 2nd every year, but to remember there’s occasions to celebrate year round, even if they’re not observances the banks are closed for.
10 Ways To Celebrate Coloring Book Day
1. Turn one of your favorite photos into a coloring page
2. Splurge on some new coloring utensils (my current favorites)
3. Design your very own mandala (and color it in online or print it out)
4. Attend a virtual coloring party via the official Coloring Book Day site
5. Host an in-person coloring party with friends for a chill night in
6. Treat yourself to a radical coloring book (like one that focuses on body positive, feminist, or queer themes)
7. Why limit yourself to coloring in coloring books? Color in a pillowcase, placemat, or even fabric for a shower curtain or other DIY project
8. Get yourself a lap desk, pencil pouch, or clipboard to make your coloring adventures easier and more organized
9. Download Charlotte’s and my free zine about masturbation that you can color in (NSFW)
10. Tape your most recent masterpiece to the refrigerator!
Questions for you: 1) Did you ever stop coloring or did you realize how awesome it was once you had so many options available to you? 2) What is your preferred method of coloring utensil? 3) Do you like more intricate designs to color in like elaborate mandalas or something more simple like the text design you see me coloring in here? 4) And finally, do you let people color in your book and/or rip pages out of it or is it a pristine masterpiece that must be completed from start to finish by you?
Photos: Maura Housley
