Yes and no and sometimes! I try to be as transparent as possible, and that starts with acknowledging my unique strengths and limitations. While I am overflowing with creative ideas and energy, I am not particularly skilled at drawing, and I am constantly operating on limited spoons as a disabled person working two jobs (not counting this business) and taking college classes. 

You may be asking yourself, “Why coloring books if you don’t draw?” Well, join the friggin' club! I asked myself that same question for YEARS because I desperately wanted to create coloring books but thought it was impossible without the skills, time, and energy to hand-draw designs. Then I saw another artist using Canva to draft journals, and I realized I could use that platform to make my coloring book dream accessible! (P.S. this is not sponsored - Canva if you’re reading this please sponsor me lolol)

On the Canva website, I pay for commercial rights to use graphics (like doodles of animals). I modify and combine base graphics to fit my vision, and if I cannot find a fitting graphic, I digitally draw it using Canva, Photoshop, and/or Procreate. My intention with the coloring books is less about showcasing my drawing skills and more about delivering silly designs that help people (myself included) giggle and feel less alone in their struggles. This model helps make coloring books (and by extension, the business itself) accessible for me, but no hard feelings if you prefer to buy from an artist who hand-draws each page!

No gatekeeping here. Art is for everyone ^_^

Amazon uses commercial machinery and exploits underpaid workers to mass-produce products. They can afford to buy and store millions of materials at bulk prices. They can make higher profits (even with razor-slim margins) due to enormous volumes of sales.

My business is just me in my basement. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to buy enough materials to unlock bulk pricing, and I use higher quality materials like laminated covers and thicker paper (146 GSM versus Amazon’s 74-90 GSM paper). In addition, commercial machinery is far out of reach, so I print, cut, laminate, bind, and package each book by hand. This involves a lot more time, energy, and love (which I enjoy devoting to this passion). 

Each purchase on Amazon’s site sets off a Rube Goldberg machine of human suffering in a nearby warehouse. This supports Amazon’s monopolistic rampage and puts even more money in the pockets of billionaires like Bezos who actively work to keep us shackled to the capitalist machine. (That said, no judgment toward Amazon customers; I know it is often the most affordable and accessible option, especially for those who have low incomes or live in remote areas. I personally believe Amazon is a bad company, but I do NOT think you are a bad person for shopping there!)

Each purchase on my website lights up my day and directly supports my dream of escaping the office world, pursuing my true passions, and investing in community (near and far). Even more importantly, each sale helps sustain and grow the radical ideas that we are not alone; that struggling is not a personal failure; and that we all deserve to feel heard, understood, valued, and loved. It may sound cliche, but I truly believe we all need to feel those things–especially those of us who are actively suffering.

Finally, handmade products usually come with higher prices, but I believe they (in general, not just my products) are worth every penny! I am happy to pay a bit more to support small businesses--especially those run by members of marginalized communities!

TLDR: Amazon = meh. Boop the Void = huzzah! Bezos hates you. I love you <3

I bind the top edge because I want the books to work for both left-handed and right-handed folks. As a left-hander myself, I am tired of wrestling with right-handed binding, and I don’t like the commonly seen left-handed binding where it looks like the book is backwards. Binding the top edge seems like the best universal design to me!

If you have requests for future coloring book designs, please send them my way via email (z@boopthevoid.com) or website contact form. While I cannot guarantee anything, I am always grateful to hear your thoughts and ideas, and I take each comment into consideration!