You might have already seen them on social media networks - coloring books for adults like "Secret Garden" and "Enchanted Forest" are topping major shopping websites. The coloring books are becoming so popular, that it's now difficult to find them available in bookstores. More and more stressed-out white-collar adults say they want to benefit from the quiet zen that a coloring session can bring.
It is lunch break for Zhou Jin and Lu Yan, who are both white-collar workers at Lujiazui. Instead of drinking coffee or taking a nap, they are exploring the pleasures of coloring inside intricate black-and-white lines, with themes ranging from nature and animals to classic paintings. Last month, Chinese publishers introduced UK illustrator Johanna Basford's "Secret Garden" coloring book, and it soon became a hit on shopping websites and in bookstores. Similar adult coloring books have been on Amazon and the New York Times bestseller lists for months.
"I saw more and more posts on my Wechat Moments. That really aroused my interest, and then I decided to order one online. I did the coloring for two hours yesterday evening. You need to be patient. It's good to pick up a pencil and concentrate," Zhou Jin said.
"I do the coloring after I go home every day, and also on weekends. I feel a great sense of achievement after finishing each page," Lu Yan said.
At this downtown bookstore, the coloring books are already out of stock. One manager says customers need to wait about three days before the next batch will arrive. And it's not only the books. Sales of colored pencils are also in high demand.
One stationery shop says it sells about ten boxes of colored pencils like these each day. While in the past, only 30 boxes were sold in a period of six months. The business opportunity has some shop owners setting up special counters for adult coloring.
A psychologist at the Shanghai East Hospital says coloring is part of what's called art therapy, and the therapeutic benefits of which are nothing new. Neuroscientific research has shown that the human brain can physically change, grow and rejuvenate through the use of art therapy.
"This is the theraputic function, but actually just can be fun because you don't need to be very good at art. You just need to pick and color and just draw it. The result actually is quite amazing. After they finish, everybody will be like 'Wow! I actually can do art.' So this can boost their self-esteem. The coloring can lift the mood and also reduce your anxiety and relieve the stress, because when you focus on coloring, you temporarily forget about everything happening," said Zhang Lujia, a psychologist from Shanghai East Hospital.
Zhang says for many adults, coloring is just a fun throwback to a simpler time, adding that true art therapy should be administered only by a qualified professional.
