Adult Coloring Books Make Their Way Through Arrowhead High School
A new trend currently hitting the halls of Arrowhead High school, as well outside of school, are new, adult, coloring books.
According to CNN.com’s article, “Why adult coloring books are good for you,” these books were focused originally on art therapy patients and for helping calm and destress primarily, adults. The designs started to spread to people outside of art therapy, once they noticed how interested the drawings looked.
CNN says these books come in all different types of designs or themes, so they grasp all different adult tastes. The books are more focused towards adults because of the details and depth in the drawings.
These books are filled with drawings from intricate mandalas, stripes, dots, forests and detailed oceans and animals – adult coloring books offer a variety of designs.
“These coloring books are so cool. Some people are really good at drawing these small designs free hand, but most of us can’t draw for our life, but we love these type of designs. With these coloring books I feel like I’m making these awesome pictures you can color. They are so cool and look amazing with tons of color. I definitely recommend it it’s so much fun,” says junior Mattie Kujowski.
Barnes & Noble, Hobby Lobby, Target, Walmart, Amazon, and more stores, all sell adult coloring books. The average price for these coloring books range from $12.50 to $20.00, according to BarnesandNoble.com. Amazon sells them from $9.00 to about $12.00 — and most of them have about 50 to 100 pages to color.
If you head to Barnes & Noble in Brookfield, you will notice they are advertised at the front of their store, most likely to encourage people to buy them. Right by the front doors you will see adult coloring books lined up, with many options to pick from.
According to theatlantic.com, coloring offers relief and mindfulness without the paralysis of a blank page. Although art and the connection with coloring books may not be able to cure diseases, it can make coping with it easier.
“These books are honestly a huge stress reliever and a mind drifting activity. Adult coloring books are a must buy for Arrowhead students who want to do something fun, but also get some stress relieving benefits,” says senior Maddie Hemmer.
According to medicaldaily.com, researchers have acknowledged the therapeutic qualities of art for years, and today, art therapy is used to help people express themselves when what they’re feeling is too difficult to put into words, such as when they’re faced with a cancer diagnosis.
AHS senior Lauren Goetz says, “It’s so relaxing to me. I’m always so stressed about school and my sport that when I have the time to sit down and color it’s an instant stress and mind reliever.”
“I noticed that I liked using colored pencils to color them with. I used to use sharpie and markers because I liked the vibrancy of the colors but it bled through to the other pages and I could get into the small sections of the picture. So I would try colored pencils and just see what you like best because that really changes the look of you picture,” says senior Colette Stitch.
Arrowhead’s library offers adult coloring books to students as well. Ask one of the study hall teachers for the book, and you can look through and pick out the one you would like to color. They normally have them set out so you can look through a pile of them. Once you pick the one you like, they have markers and colored pencils, so you can start drawing.
“We just noticed how all the kids in study hall are always on their phones and computers playing games and texting. I decided to buy an adult coloring book and provide the students with coloring materials so that the kids can do something that’s productive during their study hall period,” says librarian aid, Cindy Musbach.
“I love being able color for a little bit before my next class. I noticed it relieves any stress that is bottled up in my mind. Sometimes I’ll study for my test for 15 minutes, then color in study hall for the last 15 minutes, then head to my test. I think it really clears up my head before my test,” says senior Alli Kroeninger.
