Coloring Outside of the Lines
Tapping into your intuition simply means listening to that small voice within, that nudge in your gut, that hunch. Although the concept of using one’s intuition isn't new, we often find it so hard to do! When it comes to my weaving and textiles, people often remark on my use of color—as if it’s something they wish they could explore, or I’ve gone a route they love, but don’t know where to begin. This all comes down to one thing – intuition!
There is a spot in your body, you’ll feel it clearly when you get that intuitive hunch about something (e.g., that time you had that feeling not to get on the train, and later learned it was stranded for hours). You’ll feel the conviction somewhere in your body. For many of us, it’s the solar plexus, that core of knowing in our tummy. If you tap into your “knowing” spot, while choosing colors for a textile project, paint for your bathroom, a new car, or just about anything, your ending will be happier.
As a colorist, I find inspiration everywhere. I’ll suddenly stop at a vibrant green leaf, or notice the red trim on a house that I drive by every day, or even the color of cranberry juice, admiring its hues and depth in the glass.
Once you open to the world of color, your comfort zone more easily appears. My color choices aren’t made by using color theory or rules about what works together. My choices are always made by how color makes me feel. There is a synergy that takes place when you place colors together and let them percolate. This can be balls, cones or skeins of yarn, paint swatches or pieces of clothing. Gathering the items together that speak to you, arrange them loosely and then walk away, letting them have their own conversation. Often, I find that when I check back, they seem to meld together, the ones that work well and the ones that don’t fit are clearly obvious. I’ll remove one or two, then let them gel again for a while until the collection is set.
In the book, Tricia Guild on Colour – Decoration, Furnishing, Display, color is celebrated as a powerful force for transforming a space. A space, or we could call it a sense of place, is what we make of it, how we make it our own. In her foreword, Guild writes, “The ability of colour to transform surroundings, to excite a variety of reactions, to uplift and inspire is second to none. Our responses to it lies deep, almost defying analysis or explanation. Colour speaks directly, with an appeal that is almost visceral.”
Take note of the colors, tones and hues that you are drawn to. Keep a file, a journal or a color diary. Color can affect healing, as well, affect our mood and even release endorphins, given the right conditions.
Years ago, I painted an old house a selection of what I believed to be beautiful, soothing and also uplifting colors.
As soon as the first coat went on, my color palette created quite a stir in the small community where I lived, even mobilizing a town meeting. It was somewhat humorous to overhear comments from residents sitting around me at a lunch table in the elementary school cafeteria, where the meeting was held. “I heard she has 20 cats!” one person said. “I heard she holds seances and wild parties!” another said. Each would look at me seeking agreement and reassurance, having no idea I was the crazy spirit-speaking cat lady who had painted her house five shades of peach with a teal green front door.
One thing that helped get me through that period was the book, The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel Manus Pinkwater. "Mr. Plumbean lives on a street where all the houses were the same..." Although in my story, there was not a seagull who dropped a can of bright orange paint over my house leaving a big orange splot, which eventually brought the street to life. While I was mystified by how unexpected color could lead to upset, rather than the joy I felt and believed others would, too, I learned that what mattered most was my own expression. As Mr. Plumbean said, "My house is me and I am it."
Often, I say that I can feel colors vibrating when I enter a yarn shop, an art store, or just about anywhere filled with a variety of color. Because color has such a potent effect on me, I’ve learned how to “listen” more intently to what the colors are saying. This gets us to the point of intuition and using it to align with your own color sense.
In truth, the colors that bring you joy are THE best colors for you. If what’s hanging in your closet, or around your living space doesn’t resonate with you, I’d urge you to dig deep to your intuitive core. Allow yourself the freedom to color outside of the lines for a moment. Sit in nature, reconnect with that tie-dyed shirt you wore as a kid (or, maybe still do) and pull out some watercolors, colored pencils or pens. See what emerges from your intuitive spot deep within. Be free and let your own riot of color bubble up.~
