As far back as I can remember, I’ve had more than an affinity for certain colors – cerulean blue, bright neon pink, rustic oranges, moving mahoganies; you name it, I’ve loved it. If there’s one thing that we, as humanity, can agree on it’s that there’s an unspoken bond between the colors of our world and our feelings towards it. Colors affect your emotional state on the regular and lately research has even proven that colors can have a physiological effect on the body, giving them emotional control of our brains by altering our hormonal balance. Without a single noise, taste or smell – the introduction of color can completely alter the course of your day, your life or even your business proposal.
Back a few years ago when I was first hired at Walt Disney Studios they had a few of our departments pair up for a ‘Color Coding Workshop‘ to determine the best way to communicate with each of us in an office setting. There are four options for colors – white (peaceful, logical), yellow (fun, attention seeking), blue (emotional, intimate) and last but not least red (powerful, productive). At the start of the workshop, we filled out two separate surveys and score ourselves; once we finished we received a dominant and a subordinate color – which for me was blue and white. Though I was intrigued by the results, my assigned colors for the workshop weren’t my important takeaway: once we finished reviewing our results, I got to thinking about my coworkers, colleagues and superiors.
The goal of the workshop was to demonstrate the best ways we can relate to our peers and, on the flip side, be understood by them in a constructive environment. I went through the litany of associates on my email chains while thinking long and hard about the people I continually butted heads with. I took the time to consider their views for a second – to see what it meant to come from a world where your own personal rule book is run on finding fun or pushing for power – and attempted to translate my learnings into action. Almost immediately I was witnessing results! There’s one coworker who I had continually fought against to the point that I almost quit my job – on no kidding three different occasions. After the workshop, I picked up the office phone for fun and rang to his cube – I had a question about a movie promotion and was curious how much better we would be at communicating. I’d determined that he was a red by color coding standards, so – I wanted to play into his sense of respect and power. Instead of whimsically explaining what needed to happen, I let him get on his pedestal and go through, step-by-step, how we were going to manage the promotion. For the first time in our work relationship, we came to an agreement, and an affable one at that!
My cats color code themselves.
Now, the more I grow up the more I’ve observed firsthand the role that color plays in everyday life. From the color of my hair to the colors in my closet; we’re unconsciously affecting our lives on the daily with the way we choose to paint our individual worlds. I’ve always had an affinity for things that sparkle and shine; thinking back to when I was a little one it always seemed like the blues of the world took my breath away. The sky, the sea, my dad’s eyes -they were absolutely (and peacefully) beautiful to me. The older I’ve become, the more frequently I’ve been attracted to deep colors at times of passion and light pastel yellows and greens when I’m feeling free. There are three places that colors play a dominant role in my life: my closet, my nails and on the walls of my apartment. If we take a trip down memory lane, you could actually see that the dominant colors in my life also dominated my wardrobe: going back to high school, pink was the highlight of my wardrobe; once I moved away to college blue soon replaced it. I’ve gone through a wicked black phase and tried to counterbalance that with all types of greys; the end result is a cacophony of color and a rainbow on hangers. Like you would really expect anything less though, right? Sometimes, it’s the neon colors that get me and others it’s the faded pastels that float into my world – but lately, and so strange to me – I’ve been mulling over this almost bright pastel yellow and it makes me calm and connected. The irony for me is that though I’ve never done a personality “Power Color” test – for fun, I started playing around with one on Seventeen magazine’s website and – voila – I actually tested as yellow:
Yellow is the color of happiness, mental clarity, optimism, cheerfulness, and energy.
It is also a color that stimulates appetite, the brain, and memory, leading to confidence
Yellow is a practical color, it makes one more analytical, as it is mainly perceived by the brain, and a lot lesser by the heart
On the flip side of our color based personalities, is the idea that behind every astrological sign there’s an appropriate color to don. Being born in early December, in tropical astrology I fall under the reign of Sagittarius. I’m ruled by Jupiter, was born with a travel bug, I have a knack for being open and interested, love being on the move and hate feeling constrained. As far as colors are concerned, we’re ruled by light blue, royal purples and rich maroon; moody, emotional colors which are almost as outspoken as we are as a sun sign. For being such a fun loving (yellow) sign, the colors give us balance. Astrology signs are ruled by colors as well as birthstones – and I think the later is equally important to mention. The Sagittarius birthstone is Turquoise, our soul stone is Tourmaline and our heart stone is bornite (peacock ore). All are beautiful in their own right, and all grant so much energy when you hold them – especially if you leave your gems out during a full moon like last night.
Bornite / Peacock Ore
The Sag Heart Stone
So tell me, what are your power colors?
The Bouncy Kitty 
So did you turn into a superheroine or something of the sort last night?:P Did you put your stone/s under the blue moon?
Well, hello, Sister Sagittarius:) Nice to see…er, meet ya:) I am one, too. A Sag’, not a sister:D
I am not sure how you came to your conclusions about colors and communicating better with coworkers. I could see deciding who to and not to talk to by their color cubical choice if the colors did reflect a personality test.
I have gone through many color phases. But, there are colors I don’t “do” and some I’ve worn out. Fashion is a big factor to owning the power of the color. But, men’s fashions these days suck. I hate shopping for clothes. I don’t want to get sexist or judgmental…but, yea. I hate men’s fashions. I look at the options women have and actually get jealous. Anyway, back to colors and fashion. When I was a kid, I was stuck in hand-me-downs and uniform blues. So, in a way, I was forced to be a blue boy for my formative years. I had little to no choice. I never had a favorite color until I was maybe 12 or 14. And, by 15, I was in a deep depression. So, my color scheme went from blue to gray. And, it dipped its toes in browns and greens as I longed to connect with nature. I wanted to escape the modern world long before this digital age drove me crazy. I thought I was a very earthy guy until my mid-twenties when I first took an interest in astrology. Before that day, I thought it was bologna, a cheap newspaper joke. But, once I looked into a few books, I was hooked. I especially liked Chinese Astrology as it gave everyone a place in the animal kingdom. No one is HUMAN in the circle. No one is above the other. Everyone has a function in the scheme of things. That sure takes pressure off expectations and centers us with our natures. As I dabbled in astrology, I learned my sign’s colors were purple and green. I never cared to wear purple. But, I’ve given it a try, and it’s not all bad. I do NOT care for pink on man or woman (except in small doses). Nor have I ever been big about yellow. But, there are some hot hot HOT items for women with splashes of certain yellows I like. Yellow and black is a hot combo. I don’t do stripes or patterns. I am more of a solids and character guy. But, one can only wear so many cheesy t-shirts. I’ve dabbled in the colors of fall: red, orange, yellow, green and brown. I never wore black until maybe 5 years ago. I always thought it was “the dark side”. And, I wanted to be the good cowboy in white and sky blue. But, I have a few black pieces. My fav. pieces are black denim shorts and a gunmetal grey t-shirt or sweatshirt. I am home in my sweats. That’s my comfort zone. They are my astro clothes.
Although it’s been forgotten, I did take a color psychological test in my youth which had us pick colors we associated with various words and moods. And, I remember receiving a detailed report about career paths, etc. which mirrored a birth chart. It was rather fascinating and intimidating at the same time…to have your future mapped out by the colors you picked.
Nice topic choice.
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And, if you’re interested…if you’re not, then I apologize:P…here are my perspectives on the various colors (versus the color test you had).
I have a very keen theory on certain car color choices. Red car drivers are aggressive and cut you off, sometimes risking your life. White car driver cannot drive. They are naive Virgo virgins. They don’t want to get their tires dirty but inevitably will and then do something stupid that makes you wonder if they see the road. I have seen white car drivers do more stupid things than anyone else. Black cars are rare for good reason. Black absorbs heat/light. Only people with ice in their veins drive black cars. Cool cucumbers and vampires (if that makes sense). Black car drivers want to exist in the shadows. Silver car drivers–I’ve recently learned–are economic sensible types. They know or think they know how to invest and get back what they need to and think little of aesthetics. Now, this one isn’t a personal observation, but I read somewhere that intellectuals drive green cars. You tell me if that sounds right. I have met few if any green car drivers. My folks used to drive a green car. We are intellectual people, my family, but we butt heads like nobody’s business. A bunch of stone heads gabbing but not really eager to listen to each other.
I also have a…color code of desire. It may be astro-related if it leads to Aries. I love women who wear red tops. Not so much if they wear red dresses or red makeup/nail polish. But, a red (solid/plaid/polka dot) top will light my fire rather quickly. Pair it with blue denim shorts/jeans and white/black shoes, and you’re golden. Yellow–to me–is the color of both optimism(sunny) and cowardice. I once saw a Popeye cartoon that showed the hero with a yellow streak down his back. And, since then, I associate yellow with cowardice. It is the color of sweat stains and…well, ya know. I don’t even want to drink yellow beverages:P But, I do like the occasional lemonade or Arnold Palmer. On women–as I said before–paired with black…hot. There’s something about the electric or bumblebee combo on women I like. It’s lively and dynamic. It energizes. A woman in blue is deep, aloof or both. Often, women in blue are daydreaming. I don’t trust asking a woman in blue a serious question because she’s bound to take my mind places like fields littered with sunflowers or dandelions. I might like to roll in the hay with her…but I won’t get any work done with her unless the blue is a set of overalls and we’re painting or working at a farm. Blue is meditative. But, in my personal experience, blue was restrictive and depressing. So, once I had the chance, I ditched it like the plague. Yet, what color do my favorite Disney princesses wear?:P…BLUE! Belle and CInderella (along with the elegantly adventurous Jasmine and the optimistic–or potentially Sagittarian–Ariel) are particular favorites. I like Cinderella because she comes from “nothing” and gets the great dress. But, Belle is the inquisitive bookworm beauty. She’s sensitive, intuitive and determined enough to get things in motion. She explodes with love and creativity but isn’t a ham or spotlight muncher. I also like black on women in moderation. I usually like those “little black dresses” and black Mary Janes with knee socks. I like black halter tops paired with white shorts. But, too much black takes a left turn at Goth and goes to the dark side. Black needs to be paired with another color to bring intrigue to the mystery girl. Black with purple says, “I’m flashing one card…but not all of my cards. Come figure out the rest.” Red and black is the gambler, the jester, the dangerous one who likes to take chances. Green comes in so many shades and blends. It can affect my reaction/mood. I lean toward “greener greens”. I like bright, pure emerald and forest greens. I rarely like neon/fluorescent, turquoise, avocado or sea foam. A green top paired with white/black or blue denim “bottoms” has the same effect as Belle has on me. It’s the relaxed intellectual, the “That’s cool, but I have an idea, too…tell me what you think.” person. I don’t run into many like this:P And, that’s a shame. Pink on men is questionable. Pink on women–for whatever reason–usually turns me off. I can’t figure out why. I like a pink tank top, halter or camisole paired with white/black shorts/capris. I may even like a pink bikini in some styles/shapes. But, if the pink comes in the wrong shape or excess, I react badly. I see Barbie and “beach bimbo from ‘Three’s Company'” for some reason. I get a Turrets neck jerk. Purple is also a hard color to swallow in excess. But, I love it far more than pink and think it’s great, again, with white or black. A rich eggplant is best. Lilac or milky purples in smaller doses. Gray–though I favor it for myself–is a tough read with women. It’s like looking in the mirror and not being able to talk to myself. I like grays and whites on women in soft, cuddly items…sweaters and sweat suits (even better if the sweat pants have those broad stripes down the side in red or white). I looove women in sweater coats with those soft belts. The whole myopic bookworm/office thing. Yep, that’s my cup of tea. Polite and modest on the outside, hidden fantasies in her private domain.
Now that I’ve talked a BLUE streak:P What are your color perspectives (in men’s fashions, perhaps)? What colors do you respond to?
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I love your perspective on car colors and their drivers! That’s pure genius =) When I started out driving I was a little cautious and had a silver GTI; now that I’m ten years older and entering my thirties – I’ve swapped that out for a deep burgundy Subaru and I find it fits my personality much better! The colors I respond to are definitely different than my power colors: deep emerald and ruby constantly catches my eyes; but most of all I have an affinity for things that change color or have chameleon qualities to them (nail polishes, paints, etc).
So glad I have a new (and interactive!) reader – hope you enjoy the blog!
xx
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Yea, what’s up with people clicking LIKE on everything but commenting nothing? I feel like I am walking through lunch lines in grade school with zombies all around just collecting their mushroom pudding and shuffling to the next station. If that crazy metaphor makes sense. Yea that just came to me.
You get a good idea of one’s teen/early adult years by that first car choice. The kid with the red car is too eager to get out of school/youth and hit the streets. He/She is the first to get in an accident or is typically the all-star jock/popular person who has the best parties for getting wasted/”laid” (how I dislike that word).
Deep emerald or ruby? So, like emerald/ruby silk? These are the colors that excite you in others?
A burgundy Subaru…nice color choice. Contemplative, relaxed, serene. Like Scorpio when not in a mood.
I have a fantasy/fetish for shapeshifters (like Mystique from the X-Men or the She-Hulk), but I wouldn’t say I am too keen on much that changes too often. I like stability. I like trust. And, things that change too much or deceptively would spoil that. I like crystals and prisms that catch light and project colors. I like colored glass pieces by a window. I like green drinking glasses as they can make anything look like limeade:P
hugs
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