Why Coloring Books? With Page & Prism Coloring

A Defense, A Celebration, and a Reclamation of One of the Most Underrated Creative Tools of Our Time

“Isn’t coloring childish?” Why Coloring Books?

Yes. And that’s part of the point, isn't it?

Because in a world that demands constant productivity, adulting, and digital attention, anything that slows the mind down to the pace of joy might look childish to the untrained eye.

But let’s get something clear:

Coloring books are not childish.

Coloring books are creative tools. Coloring is a mind-body process. And for those willing to step out of their ego and into the page and prism, coloring becomes a rare space of sovereignty, where nothing has to be achieved—and yet everything can be discovered. A meditative minivacation that can be taken anywhere.

Let’s unpack this.

I. The Psychology of Coloring: Why It Actually Works

Coloring isn’t just a pastime. It’s a form of patterned, rhythmic, low-stakes engagement that unlocks a powerful trio of benefits:

1. Regulation of the Nervous System

Studies show coloring can reduce anxiety and quiet the amygdala (your brain’s fear and stress center). It triggers a flow state—a meditative, focused calm that helps rewire the brain after trauma or burnout.

“Just 20 minutes of coloring significantly lowers cortisol levels.”— Art Therapy Research Journal, 2017

2. Creative Agency Without Pressure

Unlike drawing from scratch, coloring provides the freedom to create without the fear of the blank page. There’s no wrong answer—just exploration, gradients, and personal interpretation.

3. Tactile Joy in a Digital World

We live behind screens. Coloring pulls us back into the real world—texture, sound, pressure, paper. It’s analog. Real. And human.

II. But Isn’t Coloring “Stupid”? Unskilled? Unoriginal?

Coloring books may not ask you to invent the lines. But they do ask you to interpret them. And interpretation is art.

Let’s be blunt:

• Coloring teaches visual thinking.

• It improves fine motor coordination.

• It trains the eye in pattern recognition and balance.

• It enhances emotional processing.

• It returns you to your own rhythm—one decision at a time, one hue at a time.

• The question isn’t whether coloring is stupid.

The question is: When did you decide that reclaiming your creativity was stupid?

III. Crayons, Markers, and the Tools of Shame

We’ve been taught—somewhere around middle school—that tools for fun are tools for failure.

Crayons? For toddlers.

Markers? For posters.

Colored pencils? For hobbies only.

This shame isn’t rooted in truth. It’s rooted in a system that teaches us to abandon imagination in favor of compliance. And that is not the same as growing up. It's like saying journaling is only for emotional teenage girls...enter epic face-palm and groan.

The act of coloring becomes, then, an act of defiance.

To pick up a colored pencil as an adult is to reject the lie that creative play is childish.

It’s to say: “I still belong to wonder.” “I still deserve moments that aren’t monetized.” “I still have a right to connect with my inner landscape.”

That is not childish. That is brave.

IV. Historical Context: Coloring Is Cultural

Coloring has been used throughout time as:

• A learning tool in ancient Islamic education (illuminated manuscripts)

• A contemplative practice in Tibetan mandalas

• A spiritual focus aid in Christian iconography

• A recovery tool in 20th century PTSD therapy

And now? It’s therapy. It’s branding. It’s entertainment. It’s restoration. It’s art.

V. Why Juxtaposed Tides Publishes Coloring Books

We don’t publish coloring books because they’re cute. We publish them because they are tools for healing, expression, memory, and connection.

Under our Page & Prism imprint, each coloring book is:

• Story-rich — even without words

• Emotionally intentional — designed with themes that matter

• Crafted for adults, children, and creators of all types

• Printed with care — not mass-made but curated and supports local artists!

Coloring books are not childish. Coloring books are a return to self.

And in a world that wants you scrolling, scrolling, scrolling...Coloring asks you to stop, stay, and create.

That’s not lame. That’s liberation.

Final Word: Who Is Coloring Really For?

Coloring is for the parent whose brain is fried. The elder with shaking hands reclaiming control. The child exploring line and color. The tattoo artist sketching ideas. The trauma survivor rebuilding peace. The book lover lost in fantasy. The you that never stopped being curious.

It’s not stupid. It’s sacred.

And if you ask us?

There’s nothing more grown-up than knowing how to play again.

Side Note: Real Paper. Real Time. Real Life.

In a world ruled by screens, coloring is a quiet rebellion.

No pings. No likes. No lag. Just a piece of paper, a few colors, and your own two hands. It’s one of the last things that doesn’t need charging, syncing, or updating. The experience isn’t mediated by a device or filtered by an algorithm—it’s raw, analog, and fully yours.

Coloring invites you back to the now. You hear the scratch of the pencil. You feel the page shift under your hand. You watch colors bloom without backlight.

That’s not just nostalgia. That’s presence.

And in a world increasingly lived online, the act of coloring becomes a grounded ritual—a moment that can’t be reposted, only lived.