A busy mum sits at a table surrounded by crayons , colouring in a child 's book , taking care to stay within the printed lines and fully concentrating on the task . There 's nothing unusual about that , you might think , except there 's not a child in sight ... and the mum is simply colouring in because she wants to . Grown ups reaching for the crayons is a new global trend it seems , as adults say they 're attracted to the creativity that colouring in affords . Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford has sold more than 1.4million copies of her colouring-in book for grown-ups , Secret Garden . The follow-up , Enchanted Forest , is expected to do just as well . Art and flowers : The book is the most popular in its genre and has now been translated into 22 languages . If you needed any proof , then browsing Amazon 's bestseller list offers it . A book called Secret Garden by Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford , which includes 96 pages of black-and-white drawings has sold more than 1.4million copies and is riding high in the bestsellers chart . So far , it 's been translated into 22 different languages . The New York Times has even reported on 'colouring-in groups ' , where grown-ups meet , as if they were in a knitting circle or book club , just to neatly daub colour on the right side of lines together . The arty fad is said to have started in France , where it was promoted as both a therapeutic hobby and a way of rediscovering lost creativity . Adult colouring-in titles are now said to be outselling cook books in the country , no mean feat for a destination that holds gastronomy so close to its heart . The allure is said to be the unadulterated pleasure of doing something for no purpose other than to enjoy the practice of colouring and staying within the lines . According to experts , it 's a kickback against the stresses of modern life and technology , where everything , even leisure time has to be in some way useful or aspirational . The images in Basford 's book are not particularly adult in theme , they depict scenes of both nature and fantasy . Basford , 31 , told The Times : 'Colouring in appeals to people because it ’ s a chance to do an analogue activity that ’ s not on a screen . Everyone is creative deep down but as you get older you get less confident in your abilities . ' The artist 's second book , Enchanted Forest , is showing all signs of eclipsing the success of her first work . Basford says her success is down to people resisting modern technology in their leisure time . She says : 'Colouring in appeals to people because it ’ s a chance to do an analogue activity that ’ s not on a screen ' In Australia , colouring-in circles have emerged , such is the pursuit 's current popularity . One crayon fantatic Jenny Keane told the Sydney Morning Herald that she even enjoys colouring in with her husband : 'During the week some people like to go to the bar to decompress , whereas my husband and I like to sit down together and just colour . ' She adds : ' I ca n't draw but I like to use my hands to get creative . Some people might use yoga or running but colouring for me is my sense of peace . ' A study in the US in 2012 found that colouring in reduced anxiety among university students .
Johanna ##raze has sold 1.4million copies of her book Secret Garden . The trend for grown - ups colouring in is said to have begun in France . Craze has spread across the globe with fans starting colouring - in groups . critics say the trend encourages those using it to rediscover their creativity .