Rainbows. Unicorns. Tropical fruit. - I bet one of those made you smile!
Newspapers. Storm clouds. Broken items. - Where did that lovely smile go?
Colour represents a major part of our world. We naturally associate colours with emotions; each colour evokes a different sense within us. This is called colour psychology.
Take a moment and observe the colours that surround you. From the shades around the room, to the colours that are bursting out of your wardrobe, to those scattered around your garden. How do they make you feel? The colours around us have a significant impact on our day to day lives. The way different colours affect our emotions depends largely on the colours’ brightness, shade, tint or tone. For example, a bright and bold blue may remind you of a clear blue sky on a summer’s day and ignite a sense of calm within. Whilst on the other hand, a dull or muted blue may cause you to feel, well literally, blue!
It is also interesting to understand how colours are represented throughout the world.
For many Asian cultures, white is seen as the colour of death and mourning, whilst in the Western world, that colour is more commonly known to be black. The colour yellow symbolises mourning in some countries such as Egypt and Latin America, however blue and purple are mostly associated with mourning throughout South America, as well as the Middle East. As for South Africa, red represents sacrifice and mourning.
Whilst the chosen topic to explain the differing importance of colours within cultures around the world may seem a bit grim, coming from a Hindu background, I was always fascinated by the range of colours we wear during various occasions and the symbolic meaning as to why. Hindus wear white when someone has passed away in respect to the departed and their family, it is a colour of purity. So, when you come to think about it, we’re cleansing away the burdens and heaviness that death brings with pure intentions that the deceased will go onto a better life (reincarnation).
Now that you have a better understanding as to the significance of colour, think about your favourite colour(s). Which colours are you drawn to the most? Whilst this might change at different times of throughout the day, week, month or year, it is good to know how certain colours make you feel, because you can then use them depending on your mood.
Personally, purple is my favourite and I love bold colours, as you may be able to tell through my website design!
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