What’s Your Color?

Do you ever wonder why we are drawn to certain colors and why these hues make us feel the way we do? Or how do we pick that perfect shade and how do we know it’s right? I ask myself these questions all the time. I’ve figured out some of the how’s and it seems to help me with the why’s. For a closer look at the why’s I’ve linked an HGTV article that might answer it more thoroughly on a psychological level.

I love color and how it makes me feel. I’ve often been asked what’s my favorite color? After answering with a different response every time over the years, I now respond with...“I have never met a color I didn’t like.” The mixing of colors, the selection process, the thought of where that color or hue will work best, it all excites me.

Color makes my mind start racing with creative ideas and future projects, often keeping me awake at night. Thinking about the possibilities of changing a color palette in a room or coming up with a new combination of one for an art project stimulates me and makes me “feel” something.

Landing on the perfect palette or color can be overwhelming, so more often than not people defer to neutrals. With that said, you actually are picking a palette, a color, a shade, or a hue, just a very safe one. Several reasons for not choosing to use stronger pallets can be out of fear of color, the lack of confidence in their use, social acceptance of your personal choices and on a larger scale, budgetary limitations. Not wanting to invest in mistakes we subconsciously turn on autopilot and select the minimal color commitment.

Minimal color can also be interesting if used properly and you don’t get lost in it. Too much minimalism can create a void or empty feel.

To actually love a color you must first “feel” the color. Not literally, but you may want to and that’s totally okay. Sometimes the texture of something truly has an affect on us. There is an energy that comes from colors. I love the feeling I get after I use a particular color in a project. Sometimes it can be a warm satisfying feeling and other times it has been an unfulfilled and disastrous result, turning my thoughts to, “why didn’t that work?” To this I say... “start over until it feels right”. You may need to do more sampling and research but keep trying. The more you use color the more you will feel comfortable with it.

The way I normally get into a color trend is completely organic. I come across an item, an article, a flower or a fabric that I see. The color that attracted me won’t stop working it’s way into my life. I find myself noticing shades of it in details of artwork, design and nature. It becomes important and I start visualizing how to incorporate it. Finally I have to put it to use somewhere in my life. It exudes a certain energy that I’m needing. It makes me feel happy or calm or balanced...whatever the feeling, it isn’t satisfied until I have worked with it.

I like working palettes together that might not be your first thought of a combinations. The easiest way I’ve found to come up with this formula...or lack there of...is to look at a painting, a rug or tapestry or even a full bloom garden.

In paintings the artist often combines colors that you wouldn’t normally see together and this can be a great way to bridge a palette. Also rugs and tapestry do the same in a room. The least color is often a great compliment to the pronounced color. As far as nature’s garden...well my rule of thumb is, “if it grows together, it goes together”. All these simple tricks make picking the right colors for you more approachable than pulling out a color wheel or chart to tell you what you are feeling about a color.

Have fun with color, start small with accents and grow your confidence. Know when to stop adding color...something I’m still working on after years. You will see that color adds so much more to your life, by making you feel so much more in your life.

Thank you for reading, I hope it stimulates your creativity by adding a little color to your life.