by Matthew Makowski
illustrations by Carly Van Eck, ’12 and ’13

As a child, there are few experiences that surpass cracking the seal on a box of crayons and diving into a crisp new coloring book — coloring inside the lines being optional, of course.   

Now, coloring books aren't just for kids. Although the first commercially successful adult coloring books were published in 2012, the niche hobby has more recently blossomed into a trend with many health, wellness and mindfulness experts proposing coloring as an alternative to activities such as yoga or meditation.

Danielle DeWitt, '05, '09, said coloring helped her through a trying time in 2015 when she was recovering from a concussion.

"Coloring helped focus my brain on something else," DeWitt said. "The injury really impacted my brain and I had to learn how to focus and organize my thoughts again. I found coloring therapeutic and all of my therapists agreed that it was a great thing to be doing."

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Crack open a fresh box of Crayons and get coloring! Click HERE to download 9 pages to color.

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Illustrations by Carly Van Eck, ’12 and ’13

Not only do adult coloring books offer a way to relieve stress and center the mind, but the trend presents a unique business opportunity for young entrepreneurs.

Carly Van Eck earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in social work from Grand Valley in 2012 and 2013, respectively. During classes, doodling and coloring in her notes helped Van Eck focus more effectively.

“I was able to concentrate better when I was drawing because I was doing something, but my ears were still listening and processing,” Van Eck said. “I could still participate, and it even helped with memory recall because I could remember, ‘When I was drawing this, we were talking about this in class.’”

Van Eck’s love of drawing has since transcended into a business venture. She now draws, designs and sells coloring pages via her Etsy store, Cat Lady Productions.

However, Van Eck doesn’t solely use coloring to make a profit. She conducts an art therapy course at Comprehensive Treatment for Eating Disorders in Grand Rapids and incorporates coloring into an intensive out-patient support program. Van Eck also taught students different coloring techniques and how to design their own coloring pages during Grand Valley’s TRIO Educational Talent Search camp in the summer.

Carol Hendershot, co-founder of Grand Rapids Center for Mindfulness, explained that coloring as adults has become a trend partially because many people have over-scheduled lives with many distractions.

“We really do want to take time out of our busy lives, but many of us don’t remember exactly how,” Hendershot said. “When we were children, many of us could access an easy state of flow and concentration by getting out our crayons and coloring. It reminds us of our creativity and the enjoyment of simply stopping and stepping into a sense of calm and spaciousness.”

In a world in which we are inundated by adult responsibilities, DeWitt encouraged people to “take a break and do something that lets you be a kid again for a few minutes.”