On colour confidence

Said she, “Ah, you look like a canary.” And perhaps maybe I did, for I was dressed in yellow almost but not quite head to toe. I was I guess about 15 and waiting for my mother outside Marks & Spencer in Dublin. I remember it as quite a moment because at that stage in my life, I was keen to fit in and standing out like a super-sized yellow bird had not been my intention when I had dressed that morning. My love affair with yellow rapidly cooled in that absolutist way of teenagers, or at least my affair with head to toe yellow ensembles. I couldn’t quite banish yellow completely, so teamed it with oranges, reds and purples. Happening on the perfect yellow dress many years later rekindled my love affair with its many tones and shades.

I realise now of course that my mother has a dim view of yellow, which doubtless influenced her opinion of my outfit. Yellow it seems is a difficult colour for many people. Or maybe it’s just that colour is difficult for many people, and yellow is pretty hard to ignore. On wearing a yellow sweater to class one day, all my resolutely black and grey wearing classmate could manage was “Oh, Andrea” and not in a good way. But I felt great, chirpy in fact, all day.

A dark corner in my sitting room was crying out for something cheery. I tried many colours but only yellow candles did the trick. Then they went and changed the tone of yellow and, oh dear, now not so much. The addition of a yellow upholstered chair has improved things immeasurably. Contrary to what you might be thinking, I don’t have a lot of yellow in my home. I have just the right amount, in the right proportion and in the right tones and shades for me. There is just enough in each room, so that when I walk around the flat, I feel a sense of cohesion and flow.

“I’ve never met a colour I didn’t like,” said Dale Chihuly.

I think this is so true, but I have met many tints, tones and shades I really can’t stand and which make me feel strained when I am around them. They will never be my friends despite any and all efforts I make. This is because colour isn’t just a visual stimulus,  it also engenders an emotional experience. This is why we feel so strongly about “right” and “wrong” colours, resulting in canary comparisons and Oh Andrea moments.  And why we often find it difficult to articulate what’s right or wrong about them.

And if that wasn’t complicated enough, colours can be one thing alone and quite another when in company. As Hella Jongerius says, “a colour only becomes a colour because it has neighbours.” Situation, texture, time of day, lighting conditions, proportion, context, culture, and our own history with a colour all have a bearing on how we perceive it.

This to me is what makes colour so very fascinating. And why I feel so very sad for those folks in perhaps a fear of getting it “wrong”, shy away from it altogether and miss out on a simple and effective way of improving their wellbeing. For once you discover your true colours, your world becomes a more vibrant, joyful place. We could all use a bit of joy right now.

And, you know, there is a yellow for everyone… truly. You just have to find it.