What Is Your Color?

What do you think of when you hear the word color? Are there specific colors that resonate with you? Certain ones that you dislike? Ever since I had to wear that navy blue and white uniform when I was a kid in private school, I have [strongly] disliked the color blue. I never wanted to wear something blue if I did not absolutely have to. Aside from blue jeans, that is. I didn't even like blue colors decorating my living space. Weird, I know. I don't really know exactly what I have had against the color blue, aside from being forced to wear it for eight years in grade school, but slowly during the past several years, and specifically recently, blue has started to grow on me. When I revealed photos of my most recently completed ceramic pieces, which contained many light blue colors, my mom commented that they were not colors that she usually associated with me. I was surprised myself when I selected these glazes but something about their freshness drew me. Perhaps it is something in these softer shades of blue that is now calling to me, like a longing for a crisp summer day.

A couple of nights ago I asked my husband if there were any colors he disliked and he said that he used to not care for brown. "I didn't think brown was a color," he said, "it was just something that happened." He now likes brown. On the flip side , my mother [strongly] dislikes the color brown now but back in the day brown clothing graced her closet, or rather, trousseau. In their black and white wedding photos there is an image of my parents about to leave for their honeymoon and my mom is decked out in a stylish, wool suit. One day while looking at the photos together she said, "I just had to have that brown wool suit and it was so hot that I nearly melted." I nearly fell over. A brown suit, huh mom? Wink, wink. I love brown personally.

It is interesting to observe how our affinities for colors change through the years. If you asked me what my favorite color was when I was a kid I probably would have said pink or red. They probably alternated depending on my mood. In my later high school years I loved anything peach. Thanks to Prince? Maybe. Some years later my favorite became green. It is such a nice, soothing color. My very first brand new car was green (and his name was Jasper) and I owned a green couch before I met my husband. I still love green but in more recent years I  find myself drawn more to shades of orange and red. And just this last month, powder or robin's egg blue, which is most surprising to me. Blue. After all these years of ridding my life of blue I am now bringing it back.

Why my sudden affinity for blue? According to color therapists, we are attracted to colors that make us feel better, whether it be on an emotion, spiritual, or physical level. Sometimes we may not even realize the positive effects that colors have on us, we just feel drawn to them. They say that you can even balance your Chakras through the use of color, or sound vibrations associated with certain colors. I personally think that colors can definitely affect our moods. Would you venture so far as to say that colors can affect our health? Perhaps those color therapists are on to something. What do you think? Do your colors say something about you?

The top photo is of my parents, and my mom in her brown wool suit, about to leave for their honeymoon in New Orleans. 

The bottom photo was taken of a refrigerator magnet a friend gave to me many years ago. I think it is hilarious. And according to it, I must be cool since my color is blue now. :-)

Have a great weekend!