Picture Perfect Nostalgia- Colouring books for Adults
by Startacus Admin
Eoin from Startacus writes...
“I’m disheartened, but not ashamed to admit it has been many many years since I armed myself with box of crayons and embarked on an afternoon of colouring-in…that’s not something that adults do, right?
Of course I never was much good at it in my youth…colouring was the last resort of a rainy afternoon, and heaven knows we had enough of those in Ireland!
Since outgrowing these trappings of childhood, I haven't really given the matter much thought. Until, that is I came across a lady who has flipped my perception of colouring-in on its head, by establishing it as a genuine and realistic pastime for adults. Her work is so remarkable and surprising that I am compelled to share it with you.
Johanna Basford is an illustrator from Scotland who has created a colouring book designed for adults called Secret Garden. It features stunningly sketched images inspired by visits to her grandparents’ Ayrshire home, and has far and away exceeded the expectations of all involved.
As of January 2015 Johnna’s book had sold 1 million copies worldwide, which is staggeringly good considering the relative obscurity of the marketplace. She has just released her second colouring book ‘Enchanted Forest’ which has been flying off the shelves so fast that there has been real difficulties keeping it in stock.
Johanna attributes much of the success to the fact that the images within her books are hand drawn by herself, rather than created by a computer.
“For me, computer generated graphics can feel cold and soulless whereas hand drawing captures a sense of energy and character which no pixel can ever replicate”.
The success of her books is somewhat surprising, evident from the fact that she has garnered quite considerable media coverage in the past few months or so.
People seem to be truly surprised by her success and I think that this is because she has successfully made one of the most difficult of enterprise leaps; creating a product that plays to our sense of nostalgia, but doesn’t quickly fade in the cold light of ‘today’…and that is quite a remarkable feat.
Through accident or design, she has very efficiently turned something which is potentially niche into something with a much wider appeal…
Another happy and inspiring self-starter tale. Just what we like to see.
Check out some of Johanna’s work below and follow her on Twitter for some more.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
The Yorkshire-based tech spin-out, FourJaw secures major funding to assist with developing its technological solutions for the manufacturing sector
The lowdown on Jack & Bry, the innovative London-based startup that makes a range of plant-based meats, all from Jackfruit
Week Gen-C is a week long calendar of events focused on entrepreneurship and careers, aimed at helping young people affected by the covid pandemic in the North West of NI
Leading startup community, YSYS launch 4 days of innovative online conversations and a range of new initiatives with the core theme of “Access”
Jean Gamester from Toastmasters International shares her tips on bringing back some of that old normal and staying fabulously virtually connected
Karakuri is a London-based startup that's using robotics to create innovative solutions for the catering sector
Planning to launch a fashion brand this year? Here are a few basic tips that will help you do just that and get your business off to the right start
Bippit is an online platform and app that helps companies to support the financial needs of their employees - not just via their salary
.png)
2021 may be a challenging time to start a business, but these tips should help you get it right...
Startacus and Hatch Enterprise celebrate International Women’s Day by partnering with NetMinds to bring together female founders for a virtual speed networking event
Published on: 10th April 2015
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- FourJaw’s six figure venture capital boost 1st Mar 2021 The Yorkshire-based tech spin-out, FourJaw secures major funding to assist with developing its technological solutions for the manufacturing sector
- Week Gen-C to offer career and entrepreneurship respite to pandemic-hit youth 1st Mar 2021 Week Gen-C is a week long calendar of events focused on entrepreneurship and careers, aimed at helping young people affected by the covid pandemic in the North West of NI
- #YSYSAccessWeek: Building a diverse, inclusive and accessible tech startup ecosystem 28th Feb 2021 Leading startup community, YSYS launch 4 days of innovative online conversations and a range of new initiatives with the core theme of “Access”
- Startacus and Hatch Enterprise offer speed networking IWD-inspired event 24th Feb 2021 Startacus and Hatch Enterprise celebrate International Women’s Day by partnering with NetMinds to bring together female founders for a virtual speed networking event
