The hobby that Kiki is secretly quite ashamed of

(AND WHERE MEN PROBABLY DON'T GET IT AT ALL)

I feel slightly embarrassed to say this, but adult coloring books are totally the shit. As in: everyone should have one.

Recently, I went away for a long weekend to France with my mother, boyfriend, and sister. We were really in the middle of nowhere, so the wifi was hard to come by. Aside from going for forest walks, playing games, drinking wine, and eating toast by the fireplace, there was barely anything to do. We decided to go shopping, but the nearest village didn't really have any trendy shops. While wandering in a hobby store, I stumbled upon an adult coloring book. Intrigued, I held the book in my hand. “That's actually quite funny,” I heard a little voice in my head say. I bought the thing, came back to the cottage, and then spent four days coloring like a madwoman. Once back in the Netherlands, I couldn't let go of the drawings.

I bought the thing, came back to the cottage, and then spent four days coloring like a madwoman.

Meanwhile, me and my coloring book are friends for life. If I've had a busy week, have a free hour, or a boring evening on the couch, I look for – okay, with a slight embarrassment – my friend The Coloring Book. And I can tell you: it really works wonderfully therapeutic and nostalgic to color within the lines. Even if it's just to suppress the rebellious I-like-to-color-outside-the-lines feeling in my daily life.

Why you secretly also want a coloring book:

1. Because you actually miss the crafting Wednesdays from the past.

2. It's the perfect way to relax. Page full, mind empty.

3. It's actually quite damn difficult too! I thought: I'll just do this, but with some drawings, you can easily spend over four hours coloring!

4. It's a good alternative to get rid of your Netflix addiction. Alternate watching a movie and reading a book occasionally with a delightful old-fashioned coloring page. Or use it as a distraction to get away from your laptop/phone/tv for a bit.

5. Why do you think the Netherlands has massively taken up knitting and crocheting? Being creatively active relaxes you, but also gives a good feeling. After all, you create something beautiful, which you can then be proud of.

6. Because I recently really saw an adult woman sitting in Starbucks with, yes, a coloring book and colored pencils. I foresee a new trend.

Written by Kiki Düren