245. The Language of Colours
A continuation of lecture workshop given at English Language Teachers' Association of India ELO@I Jaipur, Rajasthan Septemeber 2010 C/O Dr Ellpee Mahawar Master Trainer for Project High-TEC Teaching English Communicatively. After the initial lecture “The Language in Between and the second lecture “The Language of Intention” we now come to “The Language of Colours”.
When we wake up in the morning some just grab their clothes and put them on, others select them, which ever describes you best is not of great consequence since both methods involve an unconscious decision based on the choice of colours, although we may be quite unaware of this.
One of the things a lot of people like being asked is “Which is your favourite colour” because this in effect is not really something you choose as if it were tea or coffee, but your choice explains a lot about your personality and what you consider to be priority values in your life, simply through the language of colours, in other words, the meaning of colours.
Colours in effect have no meaning, but studies have shown, and you can test this on yourself too, that each colour evokes a sensation in a person. We may never have analyzed colours in this way and may never have given a definition to such a sensation or ever articulated the significance a colour has for each one of us. It is obvious that if we have a preference for one colour over another, feel more attracted to one and less to another there is a reason for it, and that reason is to be found buried in the feelings, meanings we apply to colours.
So how do we know that the meaning we denote to a certain colour is the effective meaning of a colour? Because when people were asked to articulate what they felt towards a given colour, the majority of people came up with the same answer for the same colour. But you can verify this for yourself. Next time you find yourself at a gathering with a group of friends, or even just one or two show them the colours below (hide the written description) and ask them what that colour makes them think about or feel.
When choosing your blog colours: All colours are beautiful if blended well. But what you need to help you make up your mind is a "reason" for choosing your colours. How do you see yourself? Usually how we think of ourselves makes us unconsciously choose the colours of our clothes, furniture, blogs... On the other hand maybe you want to distant the idea you have of yourself and project a completely different reflection on your blog. Whatever be the case think along the lines of "concepts" either of yourself or of your blog.
WHICH COLOUR ARE YOU?
GREEN: Green is the colour of the natural world, it is all around us even if we don’t live in the country. The colour we associate with PEACE. Calming, relaxing, environmental . Friday’s colour is green.
WHITE: We need white to relieve us from our mental clutter. It adds, purity, clarity, elegance and neutrality. Monday’s colour is white.
BLUE: The colour of loyalty and of spirituality. It is seen as a fixed feature in our lives as the sky and oceans, dependable, calming, peaceful and serene. Cool and “distant” in feeling. Bright, brilliant, electric blues have the opposite effect and cause us to action and be dynamic. Wednesday’s colour is blue.
PINK: Erroneously pink has been attributed as a weak, girlish colour. Yet lovers of beauty choose it as their favourite. It is recognized as the language of universal love and gives a feeling of self-worth, caring, relaxation, contentment, tenderness and acceptance. Deep pink has been used in prisons in neutralizing disorders of aggression.
BROWN: Brown is the colour of the earth and is associated with natural and organic elements. It is the colour of stability, trustworthiness, wholesomeness but also inactivity. Brown alone can give a sense of dullness and allows one to stay in the background, unnoticed. It is also associated with orderliness and conventionality.
ORANGE: Orange is a flamboyant colour giving out warmth and energy, but it also is the colour that evokes more controversy than any other colour. Stimulates curiosity, enthusiasm, creativity and appetite- so don’t put out an orange table cloth if you are on a diet. Gives the impression of low cost and affordability. Encourages communication and cheerfulness.
YELLOW: Yellow is the symbol of wisdom: inspires joy and happiness: stimulates communication, intellectual and creative energy. Protects from depression on dull days, gives relief from fatigue, sharpens the memory and allows for clarity when making a decision. Sunday’s colour is yellow.
RED: Red is known as a stimulant and naturally exciting. Chosen as a favourite by men and extroverts. Red draws immediate attention, stimulates energy, enthusiasm, action, confidence and protects from fears or anxiety. It is the colour of blood and is associated with life, vitality and survival. It is also the colour of passion. Tuesday is the colour of red.
PURPLE: Purple is the colour of Royalty, penance and sorrow. But it is also the colour of wise-judgement, peace of mind, spirituality, mystery and meditation. Purple is a children’s and artists’ favourite choice. It stimulates the imagination to the full and invigorate one from depression or the opposite, calm from over-activity, so it is an equalizer in life, removing obstacles that would otherwise make you captsize.
BLACK: The colour of authority. Can provoke powerful emotions. It suggest the unknown and unseen, or obscure elements. Yet it is the colour of elegance- it can make one appear thinner and sophisticated. It remains however, a threatening colour with hidden mystery. It is used as a background colour to make other colours emerge more powerfully. It is also worn by those who want to feel inconspicuous.
The meaning of colours as used by the Priest’s vestments in the Catholic Church:
GREEN: Everyday occurrence
RED: Martyrs and Christ- used in the sacrament of Confirmation
WHITE: All Feast Days- used in the sacraments of First Communion, Baptism, Marriage, Holy Orders
BLUE: Feasts of Our Lady
PURPLE: Passion week, funerals- used in the sacraments of Penance and Extreme Unction
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