In November of 2015 Crayola released their new line of coloring books, but they aren’t for little tikes to pass the time; adults have become the new target audience. “Color Escapes” is designed specifically for young adults and adults. It is the newest innovation and is really taking off. There are pages and pages of comprehensive templates for you to let your creative juices flowing, or find your ‘inner peace’ and de-stress after a long day.

The designs of the coloring books themselves are very intricate and definitely not meant for kids. Instead of big open areas of coloring space where kids do not have to worry about staying in between the lines, they are so detailed that it will take at least a day or two to finish one.

Crayola officially released this new idea back in 2012 and 2013; the company developed these books and special markers to go along with them. They have become such a rage that two out of the 20 top books of 2015 on Amazon are adult coloring books.

Despite the massive hype and demand for this new pastime, people are also buying it to take a break and relax from a long day. Even though it does not replace a therapist,  it has similar effects as a “mental health day.”

The Mental Health Foundation stated, “10 percent of children and young people (aged 5-16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem.” The coloring craze, according to the American Art Therapy Association and CNN, helps “explore feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety and increase self-esteem.”

The physical act of coloring in these intricate books is meant to be easy;  it’s just “choosing which color goes best where, with relatively little skill involved,” said neuroscientist Jordan Gaines Lewis. Lewis also stated that these books are helping people who suffer with “decision fatigue.”

Everyday people get up and their brain has to make many decisions a day, I know I have experienced the inability to come to a concise conclusion or decision. It can be pretty nerve wracking. The New York times looked into this recent discovery and stated, “the more choices you make throughout the day, the harder each one becomes for your brain, and eventually it looks for shortcuts, usually in either of two very different ways.” Most people do not know they have this struggle, and most do not know it exists.

So not having to choose what to draw on a blank canvas you simply choose a pre-printed design and a few colors. The benefits of giving into the trend can help people with present or even unknown mental stresses. Keep in mind it does not replace a therapist, the actual purpose of a therapist and therapy is to create a relationship and work out problem through speaking. But, I think we all could use our own “color escape”  from the stresses around us.