La La Land A portion of proceeds will go to charity
Illustrations by Tanya (Pirate) Bennett
Colouring books have officially become the hobby du jour for grown-ups, this festive season, turn the hobby into good with La La Land.
For some, it was Marie Kondo’s guide to tidying up; for others, it was learning to harness the power of visualisation. But for Nisha Parmanand, it was Stuart Semple’s My Happy Colouring Flip Book that truly changed her life: “I was amazed at how such a simple task of colouring made me so happy and relaxed. As adults, we live such stressful and hectic lives that we often forget to slow down. Colouring seemed like the perfect creative outlet.”
And so, La La Land was born. Created in collaboration with fashion writer and editor Divia Harilela, the pair reached out to Hong Kong’s creative community from fashion to art and media, inviting them to submit an illustration that embodied their ‘La La Land.’
“My mother’s nickname for me growing up was LuluLaLa which inspired the book’s name,” explains Parmanand. “The whole point of a colouring book is to relax you, not to focus on your daily worries. It’s for you to just go to your happy place, where you daydream - to your La La Land.”
Eighty-five percent of the proceeds for each book will go directly to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, a very personal charity to Parmanand and Harilela’s family.
“Ever since we were young our grandfathers have instilled in us the importance of family and staying together. For us, family is our strength. The RHMC keeps families together and gives them unconditional support during their darkest hours.”
As cousins, their shared Christmases are legendary, “Like a magical feast at Hogwarts!” says Parmanand. Filled with 150 of their closest and dearest in attendance -“our family is so big and gets bigger every year,” there are endless opportunities for games, feasts and catch ups.
“After dinner, we all sing Christmas Carols and Santa arrives bearing gifts. Afterwards, we usually stay up late afterwards, chatting into the wee hours,” says Parmanand.
If your happy place is with family and friends, La La Land sounds like the best place to be this Christmas.