In order to see, light is reflected off of surfaces and into our pupils. Our eyes send signals to the brain, allowing us to construct millions of shades and hues that are commonly known as colors.
With so many to choose from, you might have trouble finding your favorite. Whether deciding what color to paint your room or what color to say for that annoying, repetitive icebreaker, here are the steps to finding your color of choice.
First, you must absorb the colors around you. Next time you walk through the park, notice the way the grass shines like emeralds under the warm golden sun. Stare into the sunset as the sky transforms from wispy brushes of oranges, yellows, and pinks into a dotted, endless black map charted with white stars. Did you know that blue roses are rare? Did you know babies can distinguish red first?
“Muted, cool colors can often emphasize sadness, dreariness, more weighty emotions,” said Meagan MacPhee, humanities department faculty and Honors Media and Social Change teacher. “Warmer colors can help ground joyful or romantic scenes, and sepia can pull us into nostalgia or give us clues that we’re jumping time period.”
One method that I find extremely helpful is to imagine yourself in a film.
What kinds of colors do you view in your life? From a deep blue sadness to a green envy, I encourage you to embrace your emotions in your choice. When thinking about a favorite color, remember to choose the ones that make you feel like yourself, and not the ones that people say are the best.
“When used masterfully, color can underscore important emotions and themes of the film or can paradoxically be used to play with viewer’s emotional expectations,” Ms. MacPhee said. “Color or its absence can tie the disparate parts of a film together into a cohesive message or emotional experience.”
However, your life is more than just a film. Your emotions are not just a combination of random colors. Pick a color that expresses you. Whether it’s your favorite color to wear or the one you always seem to choose when buying random household items, be sure to gravitate towards a color that you feel represents your identity.
