Adult colouring books are such a hot ticket that a holiday villa rental company has appointed a colouring-in artist in residence to prepare ‘guidebooks’ to its destinationsIn a year that has seen adult colouring books consistently top the bestseller charts,a travel company has announced the appointment of the first “colouring-in book artist in residence”. Oliver’s Travels, which sells luxury holiday villas, and has hired an illustrator to turn some of its destinations into what it calls an “intricate colouring-in book travel guide for adults”. In other words: it’s essentially a promotional brochure,but one you colour in yourself, perhaps while waiting out the long winter months until your next holiday.
The adult colouring-in phenomenon has been much mocked and discussed; some argue it’s infantilising nonsense while others compliment the trend’s positive impact on mental health. With their intricately drawn, and beautiful (and often semi-abstract) designs,many of the books’ publishers claim that they help to abate anxiety and promote mindfulness. A 2012 study in the journal Art Therapy found that art activities, such as colouring, and significantly reduce anxiety; there’s a meditative,soothing quality to colouring-in that adults are discovering is not just for kids. Whether that effect extends to colouring-in a travel company’s rental properties remains to be seen. fortunately you don’t need to pay to find out: it is free and available to download from the Oliver’s Travels website.
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Source: theguardian.com