Finding peace, one page at a time
For anyone who enjoys whimsical coloring books filled with charming animals, playful kawaii characters, beautiful architecture, and peaceful nature scenes, Gabi Wolf is a familiar name. From her home in Berlin, she has quietly built a devoted following through books that invite people to slow down, pick up their favourite pencils, and lose themselves in the simple joy of coloring.
It wasn't always the plan.
Like many creative journeys, Gabi's began almost by accident.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the constant stream of worrying news became increasingly difficult to escape. Looking for a distraction, she picked up a mandala coloring book. What began as a way to quiet an anxious mind soon became something much more significant.
How did your passion for coloring and creating coloring books begin?
"It all started during the COVID pandemic. Like many others, I was spending most of my time at home, and the daily news made me feel very anxious. I was looking for something to take my mind off everything that was happening, so I bought a mandala coloring book. I absolutely loved it and soon started drawing my own mandalas. Before long, I had created so many that I decided to collect them into my first two coloring books."
Drawing itself was nothing new. Gabi had loved it for as long as she could remember, although it remained a hobby until she discovered Adobe Illustrator in 2015.
"I immediately fell in love with the program. Over the following years I created hundreds of vector illustrations, many of which I sold through Adobe Stock. They're actually still available there today."
Those years became the foundation for the books readers know today. Clean outlines, thoughtful compositions, and illustrations designed to be colored all grew naturally from that experience.
"I've always enjoyed drawing illustrations with clean outlines. They're simply perfect for coloring books."
Learning to See
Spend time looking through Gabi's books and certain themes quickly become familiar.
Nature. Architecture. Adorable animals.
Tiny details tucked into every scene.
They aren't chosen because they're fashionable. They're simply the things that catch her attention when she's out in the world.
Where do you usually find inspiration?
"Most of my inspiration comes from my daily walks. Every time I go out, I discover something new, and over the years I've taken thousands of photographs that I use as references for my illustrations. I also love comics, both books and films. Ever since I was a child I've enjoyed watching Tom and Jerry, and they still inspire me when I'm creating new illustrations."
Her artistic style has evolved naturally over the years. Early vector illustrations focused almost entirely on nature before architecture gradually found its way into her work. Later came kawaii art, inspiring the much-loved Minimania and Tinymania books.
Yet one thing has never really changed.
"I especially love drawing cute animals, rabbits most of all, often combined with nature and architectural elements."
It seems fitting somehow. Her books encourage readers to notice the little things — the same little things she notices herself every day.
Building a Coloring Book
Although a finished coloring page may appear effortless, every illustration begins in much the same way: as a rough sketch accompanied by a few handwritten notes.
"I always begin with a very rough sketch, often adding notes or reminders about which of my photographs could work as a reference. That first sketch usually only takes a few minutes. From there I gradually develop it further, and that stage can take up to two days. Once everything is in place, the final line drawing usually only takes a few hours."
Every book contains between 25 and 30 finished illustrations, but many more are created along the way.
"By the time a book is finished, I've often drawn more than 40 illustrations. There are always some I'm not happy with. I keep them in a folder and look at them again a few weeks later. Sometimes I end up liking them after all and include them in a book. Others stay in that folder forever."
It's a refreshingly honest reminder that even experienced illustrators don't love everything they create.
Today, most of Gabi's work happens digitally in Procreate, where layers have become an essential part of her workflow. Yet traditional sketching still plays an important role.
"When I'm out and about, I always carry a sketchbook with me so I can capture ideas and interesting details whenever they appear."
Technology may have changed the tools she uses, but not the way she creates.
Observation still comes first.
The Quiet Discipline of Creativity
Perhaps the biggest surprise during our conversation wasn't discovering how Gabi creates her books.
It was discovering when.
Do you have any creative habits or rituals?
"I'm most creative in the early morning. That's why I get up around four o'clock every day. I make myself a coffee and sit down at my little desk. Even on weekends. I spend the morning working on my illustrations until around midday. Then I take a longer break, often going for a walk. In the afternoon I edit my videos and photographs for social media. Around five o'clock I finish for the day, go for another walk, watch a little television, or read a good book."
It's an unassuming routine, but perhaps it explains the steady stream of books readers have come to expect.
Remarkably, all of this happens from a small desk tucked into the corner of her living room.
"It's just a small desk in the corner of my living room. My supplies are spread across drawers and cupboards throughout the room."
Creativity, it seems, doesn't require a grand studio.
Only a place to begin.
Trusting the Process
Like every creator, Gabi experiences periods where inspiration simply refuses to appear.
"Sometimes I go an entire week without coming up with a single new idea. When that happens, I put away my pencils, sketches, and notes in a drawer and spend time doing completely different things. It helps clear my mind, and before long, lots of new ideas suddenly start appearing."
She has also learned that finishing a book doesn't necessarily bring relief.
Quite the opposite.
"The hardest part is the time between finishing a book and publishing it. That's when I start wondering whether the illustrations are really good enough and whether people will enjoy coloring them.
As soon as the book is published and the first reactions start coming in, I feel much better and can focus on creating again."
Those early years were particularly difficult. When she published her first books in 2021, confidence didn't come naturally.
"I didn't really have much confidence in myself. Thankfully, that's changed, and I have my loyal followers to thank for that. Without them, I might have given up. Instead, they encourage me to keep creating better and better illustrations."
Listening to Gabi speak, it becomes clear that social media isn't simply a place to promote new releases.
It's where conversations happen.
"I'm grateful for every comment, every compliment, and even every piece of criticism. That's the only way I can learn what the community wants and continue improving my work."
Looking Ahead
Although coloring books remain her greatest passion, another long-held ambition is beginning to take shape.
For some time, Gabi dreamed of producing her own jigsaw puzzles. The costs and bureaucracy ultimately made that impossible, but the idea never disappeared. Instead, she found another route.
"I've started creating puzzle illustrations for other manufacturers. I can't reveal too much about that just yet."
Her first puzzle is already in production, and she hopes it will be available later this year.
As for aspiring creators hoping to publish their own books, her advice is refreshingly realistic.
"Don't give up. It's a long journey with many challenges, and it can sometimes feel discouraging. During the first few years it's very difficult to reach an audience. You receive very little feedback and have to trust your own intuition. That was when my self-doubt was at its greatest, and I often wondered whether I was simply wasting my time. But if you don't give up, something wonderful can grow from it."
Before we finished our conversation, there were a few lighter questions.
If she could collaborate with any artist, living or historical, she'd choose Vincent van Gogh, William Morris, Alfonse Mucha or Ernst Haeckel, whom she also considers to be creative role models.
Her creative world, she says, is best described as cute, playful, and relaxed.
A perfect creative afternoon includes coffee, occasionally tea, a piece of cake, and very quiet music. And if she could spend a day in any fictional world, she'd choose the TARDIS from Doctor Who.
And the creative tool she couldn't live without?
Her iPad.
Perhaps the most unexpected revelation came at the very end.
Gabi shared that her eyesight has deteriorated over the years. Working digitally allows her to zoom in on the smallest details, while a custom-made magnifying pair of glasses helps her color pages for her YouTube videos. It's the kind of detail readers rarely see.
After all, we usually only encounter the finished page.
Not the early mornings.
Not the walks through Berlin.
Not the notebooks filled with ideas.
Not the hundreds of reference photographs.
Not the rejected sketches waiting patiently in a folder.
Tomorrow morning, while much of the city is still asleep, Gabi will almost certainly be sitting at the small desk in the corner of her living room with a fresh cup of coffee nearby.
Perhaps yesterday's walk will have sparked a new idea.
Perhaps another rabbit will find its way onto the page.
Either way, another quiet morning of drawing will begin — one illustration at a time.
I think that's one of the many reasons why her books resonate with so many people.
They don't ask us to rush. They simply invite us to slow down, notice the little things, and enjoy the page in front of us.