Why Did I Create a Cost of Living Colouring Book?

Some people have questioned why I'd create a colouring book about the cost of living, or pointed out the irony of buying one during a financial crisis.

The truth is, I was living the cost of living long before it became a phrase.

This book wasn't created to minimise anyone's struggles. It wasn't created to make light of people using food banks or facing genuine hardship.

It was created because, like many of my other books, it focuses on relatable experiences.

The tone of the book is about the sheer absurdity of everyday life becoming more and more expensive. The little moments where you look at the price of something and think, "How on earth has it come to this?" It's about the humour people often find in situations that are otherwise frustrating.

I know that type of humour isn't for everyone, but it's something many people recognise because they've lived it too.

I've also seen comments saying it's ironic that I use AI when they believe AI has contributed to the cost of living.

People are entitled to that opinion. But my intention with this book has nothing to do with AI. The idea came from the same place as many of my other books: taking a relatable shared experience and turning it into something people can recognise, smile at and connect with.

The book isn't about celebrating the cost of living crisis. It's about acknowledging how unbelievably ridiculous parts of it have become. That's the feeling I wanted people to colour with.