There's a Ruth Bader Ginsburg coloring book for those who want to color outside the lines.
When we heard about this new Ruth Bader Ginsburg coloring book, we were pretty pumped.
Yeah. That's right. A Ruth Bader Ginsburg coloring book. You didn't even know how much you wanted that to exist until I just said it, did you?
Whether the Supreme Court justice is advocating for an all-woman Supreme Court or dropping gay marriage truth bombs, she pretty much knocks it out of the park every chance she gets. Not to mention, we're big fans of adult coloring books here at Upworthy.
The good folks over at SheKnows had the Steve Jobs-esque foresight and initiative to create this brilliant RBG coloring book and unleash it upon the world.
"The coloring book is for all ages," says Jeanne Sager of SheKnows. "Whether it’s her grown-up fans or little kids who are just learning about some of the amazing women who help shape this country."
It's just as amazing as you'd think.
Images via SheKnows.com, used with permission.
The whole thing is available for download, so all you have to do is print it and let RBG inspire your ROYGBIV creativity.
As we printed out the pages and began coloring — because of course we did — we were reminded of just how much of a badass RBG is.
Here are just a few examples, from her long career of many, many more, of why she's such an iconic and beloved figure:
1. In 1961, RBG learned Swedish to write a book on Sweden's legal system.
That's right, way before Rosetta Stone, RBG sat down and learned Swedish to help research and write a book on Swedish law. Feel lazy yet? Check out the book here.
On this page, I had some fun with some bright neon colored pencils that were laying around my apartment. Check out that psychedelic Supreme Court in the background. Photo by Jon Comulada.
2. Did you know in 1972, RBG became the first tenured female professor at Columbia Law School?
While there, she co-founded the first law review on women’s issues called "Women’s Rights Law Reporter."
Senior Editor Rebecca Eisenberg nailed this tatted-up RBG portrait with the help of markers, pencils, and some sparkly gel pens. Photo by Rebecca Eisenberg.
3. On the subject of abortion rights, she once said: "The basic thing is that the government has no business making that choice for a woman."
And then she probably dropped a microphone. But seriously, RBG has been fighting tirelessly for a woman's right to choose ever since she first cracked open a law book.
Writer Erin Canty dreamed up this colorful RBG selfie. Photo by Erin Canty.
4. RBG also helped recognize the LGBTQ community as a constitutionally protected class in 1996.
That was a major first step in LGBTQ rights. Not to mention a huge victory for equality.
Ariel Azoff and her boyfriend, Gabe, took a break from Netflix and chilling to color these RBG tributes. The upper-lip mole is a nice touch. Photos by Ariel Azoff.
5. And in 2015, she helped legalize same-sex marriage. No biggy.
In one of the biggest landmark cases in Supreme Court history, RBG and four of her benchmates voted to make same-sex marriage the law of the land. Love wins. So does RBG.
Kelli Doré got the whole family involved in this very important project. Photos by Kelli Doré.
6. Did you know that in 2006, RBG helped the environment by voting to allow the Clean Water Act to apply to isolated wetlands?
She actually stopped land developers from building malls and condos on wetlands and marshes. She's basically the hero in an uplifting Disney movie.
4-year-old Finley is a huge RBG fan. Photos by Kelli Doré.
7. Oh, and let's not forget she's also a cancer survivor.
Yup. She had pancreatic cancer, which led to her getting surgery and receiving chemotherapy. She was sent home healthy in 2011, essentially telling cancer, "Excuse me, I have some work to do."
Daniel Christopher, who, by the way, is an amazing artist, made this RBG superhero with his daughter. "I was trying to explain to her who RBG is, [I said] she’s like a superhero but instead of fighting bad guys by punching, she fights them with words." Photos by Daniel Christopher.
8. Not to mention, RBG was the first female member of the Harvard Law Review.
And the second woman ever to be appointed to the Supreme Court!
Writer Heather Libby went above and beyond with this unicorn and Drake-style RBG picture. Photos by Heather Libby.
9. And she was the first Supreme Court justice to officiate at a same-sex marriage ceremony.
She's actually officiated a couple at this point. Including one where she attended the reception in a "glamorous jacket with a cream satin leaf motif." Because why not look good while you do good.
Photo by Kelli Doré.
Adding a bit of color to these pages was a lot of fun, but the best part was that we also got to celebrate one of our heroes.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg doesn't just inspire creativity.
"We realized the women who’ve inspired us the most are the women who’ve been brave enough to color outside the lines in their own lives," Jeanne Sager says about the creation of the coloring book.
Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images.
"Whether you agree with her views or not, Her Honor has always been an amazing role model and not just for women," Sager says. "This is a woman who was born just 13 years after women got the right to vote, and now she’s one of the justices on the highest court in the land."
So here's to you, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You're an ironclad badass with the zeal and aplomb of history's greatest humans.
When they inevitably make a movie about you starring Meryl Streep, it'll have to be at least 19 hours long to capture how awesome you are at being awesome and, more importantly, never being afraid to color outside the lines.
Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."