E87 - Classic - The Power of color
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[00:00:00] I think one of the reasons that we as children were so excited about a box of new crayons is that we somehow knew intrinsically that colors are more than just visual elements. They deeply affect our emotions, our decisions, and even our wellbeing, and somehow. Even as children who are just getting our creative feet wet, we somehow knew the power and the importance of color and how color can help us tap into our emotions and set the tone for what we are drawing.
Welcome to the BDI Create Today podcast. This is a podcast where we uncover and discover the who, what, where, when, why, and how you can be creative or have more [00:01:00] creativity. And together we'll explore the extraordinary impact creativity can have in your life, in heart, mind, body, and soul. And if we haven't met yet.
I'm Beth Buffington, a licensed artist, digital illustration instructor, and a creative coach living just outside of the Windy city, Chicago. But mostly I'm someone who is curious about how creativity can weave its way into nearly everything in our lives. Each week we are going to look at one or more of the sparkly facets.
That make up the ever-changing kaleidoscope, that is creativity. Hello and welcome to another episode of Create Today, this Week. Is back to school week, at least in my life right now. My daughter is a third grade teacher and she's gearing up for another year of teaching, and two [00:02:00] grandchildren are getting ready to go back to school tomorrow.
So our family chatter has been about meeting teachers, school supplies, and that all important first day, this excitement and brand newness. That back to school is bringing to my family this week. Makes me remember back to the days when I was getting ready to go to school and one of my best memories was that new box of crayons that I got every year.
Do you remember that too? I totally remember my first box of crayons in kindergarten. Oh, the look and the feel, and even the smell of brand new crayons. Those perfectly sharp tips, the smooth, waxy, vibrant colors, the pristine wrappers all lined up in their box waiting for me to create. I loved my crayons so much that when I was [00:03:00] in kindergarten, I made sure that I drew pictures every day in my free time so that I could bring home work.
To my mom at the end of each day that year, red was my favorite color, and I wore that busy little crayon down to a nub. The excitement of new crayons in the fall in preparation for a new school year. Well, it makes me want to get a new box of crayons every fall to just reignite that sense of creative urgency to draw and draw and draw with these beautiful, new creative tools.
So today in honor of Back to School, we are going to walk down memory lane, a memory that you might hold dear, just like me. That moment at the start of the school year when we were handed a brand new box of crayons. Do you remember it? There is something magical about that fresh box of crayons. Am I right?[00:04:00]
Yep. Something incredibly special about new crayons, especially at the beginning of a school year. Now, this is more than just new art supplies, crayons. Well, they're a symbol of potential renewed creativity and. Fresh starts. Each crayon represents a color that will bring an imagination to life. Each crayon is a tool to express great ideas.
Each crayon, well. It's a visual microphone to communicate our emotions and tell amazing stories. So as kids, those crayons, they were our first introduction to the endless possibility that color provides. Even now as adults, this site of a new crayon box can reignite that same feeling just like Pavlov's dogs.
You know? It's our remembered excitement of possibilities. Of new [00:05:00] creativity. So let's better understand what's behind the box of crayons that you probably received at the beginning of a new school year. So first, let's talk a little bit about branding, the creme de la creme of crayons, the brand with the most vibrant colors, and the champion of variety when it comes to color and size, in my opinion.
Is Crayola now. Crayola has been a beloved staple in art supplies since they were first introduced in 1903 by the Benny and Smith Company, now known as the ever popular brand, Crayola. The company was originally founded by Edwin Binney and Sea Harold Smith in 1885. These two cousins were revolutionary in recognizing the need for safe, affordable, and colorful art materials for schools.
And so Binny and Smith. They developed their Crayola crayons, [00:06:00] and the name Crayola was coined by Edwin Benny's wife Alice, who was a teacher. She combined Cray, C-R-A-I-E, the French word for chalk and ola from gin, meaning Oili and Alila. The name Crayola was born. Now the original box contained eight colors, setting the stage for Crayola to become a household name and an iconic part of childhood creativity.
And over the decades, Crayola has expanded its product line, but. The crayon remains a symbol of imagination and artistic expression. When my children and my grandchildren were born, I could hardly wait to get them their first box of crayons, and my friend, they were cray. Liz. And oh how I love to color and create art with them all.
So let's think back to our early days of [00:07:00] creativity. Many of us remember that box of eight large, easy to hold crayons. The box came with those fundamental eight colors that were the building blocks of our creative expression. So let's. Revisit those eight iconic colors and take a little journey through their history and the moods that each one of these colors evoke.
So let's check out that box of eight crayons, starting with number one. Red, so red's bold and passionate. Nature has made it a color of power and emotion across various cultural trends from revolution and activism to love and desire, and even anger. Red, it's a color of passion. Number two is blue blue's, calming and trustworthy qualities have established [00:08:00] it as a color of serenity and stability across many cultures and trends.
From corporate branding to artistic expression, paint a room blue. And you might find its calming qualities will help you sleep better. Number three. Next up is yellow yellow's bright and uplifting. Energy has made it a color of optimism, and at the same time, caution. So this holds true spanning from fashion and design to safety symbols and enlightenment.
Yellow is a color whose energy can spark excitement from sunrise to sunset. And number four, let's talk about Green Green's. Association with nature and renewal has made it a color of growth and sustainability. We see many hues of green from environmental movements to health and wellness and anything to do with regeneration and [00:09:00] sustainability.
And number five, it's orange oranges dynamic and energetic qualities have made it a color that shouts about change and creativity from across various cultural trends, from fashion and design to politics and a lot of national identities. Number six is violet. And when I say violet, for the kindergartner who is receiving their first box of eight crayons, they will typically think of violet as purple.
So purple it's rich and mysterious. Essence has made it a color of luxury and spirituality across the world and throughout history from royal symbolism to spirituality and mysticism. Number seven. Let's chat about the color brown. Now, Brown's earthy and grounding presence has made it a color of warmth and [00:10:00] reliability in cultural trends from rustic design to organic and sustainable living.
It's a classic color that finds an organic home in almost every era. And finally, let's talk about black Black's sophisticated and authoritative. Tone has made it a color of elegance and cultural trends from high fashion. You know that little black dress, the LBD, and you know what? Let's not forget the reason.
It's so important for every young artist everywhere. The color black. Well, it's what you outline nearly everything with. Until you learn to break what you believe are the creative rules about outlining. So we can see that these eight colors have a pretty big impact in the crayon box and in our daily lives that I think one of the [00:11:00] reasons that we as children were so excited about a box of new crayons is that we somehow knew intrinsically that colors.
Are more than just visual elements. They deeply affect our emotions, our decisions, and even our wellbeing. And somehow, even as children who are just getting our creative feet wet, we somehow knew that power and the importance of color and how color can help us tap into our emotions and set the tone for what we are drawing.
And I really believe that somehow as children, we perceive the importance of this. And so this box of eight crayons was really more than just a new school supplied to us. And now as adult creatives, or, well, for most of us as creatives who are considered tall enough to be a grownup. Because I don't know [00:12:00] about you, but I still can't believe I'm actually old enough to be adulting, if you know what I mean.
But as adults in our lives, these eight colors that we encounter every day, they can influence our mood, our energy levels, and even how we interact with the world around us. You know, marketers spend tons of money considering color as they build a marketing campaign. They know that choosing the right colors can be just as important as the right words as they prepare to share a message with their targeted audience.
And you probably already know that surrounding yourself with calming colors like blue or green can reduce your stress. They can calm your agitated soul, and that if you include energizing colors like reds or yellows, these can boost your energy and your [00:13:00] motivation and even your stamina. Whew. Colors have power.
Now let's take a quick break for a word from our sponsor. This episode is brought to you by Silva Solas, a creative wellness retreat that I will be leading with Lisa Murphy, a certified health coach. This intimate healing retreat is October 16 through 19 in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.
Silva Solace is your invitation to rest, reconnect, and revive your creativity and your health. Through the care of your heart, mind, body, and soul, we will be gathering in an intimate circle for four days of inspiration, coaching, quiet movement, reflection, and uplifting community at the gorgeous Horseshoe Farm [00:14:00] resort.
You'll be guided by me and Certified Health Coach Lisa Murphy, and you'll leave with more clarity, creative confidence, and emotional strength than you thought possible. Now, spots are limited and I would love to talk with you personally if you're curious about attending this Creative Resilience Retreat.
You can learn more about this retreat at bdi. Create today slash Silva. Dash retreat and Silva is spelled S-Y-L-V-A. There's also going to be a live link to the retreat information in the show notes.
So now let's take a moment to explore how we can harness the power of these colors to enhance our creativity every day. So number one of our eight colors is red. The next time you need to feel confident about our [00:15:00] activity, a sport event, a presentation, an interview, a first date, consider wearing the color red.
So when you are clad in your red clothes, remember as you enter into the event that you are wearing red, the color of power, and use this color to enhance your confidence in conquering whatever you need to achieve. And while you're being powerful in your red dress or your red shirt, remember. You look great too.
Number two, let's talk about blue, the color of calm, of reflection and peace. Consider decorating rooms in your house with this color. It will bring tranquility and a sense of serenity. Add blue to rooms like your bedroom or a bathroom. And when decorated with blue hues, you're going to find that a room that's just a bathroom becomes a spa.[00:16:00]
So soothe yourself with this color. It can settle your jangly nerves, just like the waves from the bluest Ocean. Number three is yellow. Think about the power that the smiley face emoji has upon the whole entire world. This happy emoji receives its exuberant emotional vibrancy, more from its bright, perky, yellow coloring than its smile.
The smiley face would not have the same happy cachet if it were colored red, right? So when you need to emit a bit of jubilant joy. Consider wrapping yourself with a luxurious coat of yellow goodness. Number four is green. Green is soothing. It's balancing, and it's rejuvenating. So when you are in need of healing or finding a bit of soothing stability in your wacky, crazy day, consider [00:17:00] surrounding yourself.
With the luxurious greenery in a park, revel in the fluttering green leaves while you cushion yourself on a bed of green grass and smell the flowers from all the green plants as you experience nature at its greenest. Number five. Now orange. Well, it is the beautiful blended friendship of red and yellow, and it creates an invigorating playfulness that can brighten your day with additional energy and warmth.
To feel the power of orange view the vibrancy of a fiery orange sunset, and soak in the drama and the warmth that the energy this color brings at the close of each day. Number six, purple or violet. If you're an adult, immerse yourself in purple when you [00:18:00] need to be inspired. It will help you expand your imagination and it will in turn increase your creativity.
Purple can also add a bit of mystery or pomp and circumstance to your life as it is a symbolic color of spirituality and royalty. So proudly, don your cloak of purple and uh, maybe top it off with a tiara. There were seven Is brown. When you need to feel a grounding presence in your life, consider finding some brown to enhance your day.
Brown is perpetually reliable, it's warm, it's inviting, and hey, it's the color of chocolate. So grab yourself a nibble of some super good, colorful chocolate and get yourself grounded right now. Ah. That sounds good. I have some chocolate in my drawer right here. [00:19:00] Number eight is black. Black provides you with a feeling of elegance and power.
It's also, as we know, very slimming and black. It is bold. Think about the attention and art piece receives when its colors consist of strictly the contrasts of black. Against white. How amazing that these powers can come from a simple box of eight Crays. Imagine how you can use these eight simple colors to enhance your life in heart, mind, body, and soul.
And you can do that today. Yes, my friend. Take a moment to appreciate these eight colors and how they can enhance your life today and every day. Like the box of crayons you got as a [00:20:00] kindergartner. These colors can continue to provide the same feelings of possibility of potential. And maybe most importantly, that feeling of a clean new start that each school year gave us every fall.
And all of this is perfectly symbolized. That all important brand new box of crayons. Each of these eight crayons has its own story, its own energy, and its own potential to shape our world. So whether you are a painter, a writer, a designer, or someone who just loves to create with crayons, remember whether you are a painter, a writer, a designer, or someone who just loves to create with crayons.
Remember that color is one of your most powerful tools. So go ahead, pick up that crayon, [00:21:00] do a little bit of old fashioned coloring. It's going to bring back some memories of a back to school. And then with crayon in hand, my friend, let your imagination run wild. Let color guide you. Let color inspire you and let color bring your creations to life.
And as you do remember that understanding the importance of every one of these eight spectacular colors is a step towards a more vibrant, more beautiful world. And imagine our world. If everyone just colored with a box of eight crayons a little bit every day, that would be an incredible place to live.
Let's go there and let's color. So until next time, my friend, keep creating and keep [00:22:00] embracing the colors that make your life extraordinary. What will you create today? Because there's no better time to add a little color to your world than today, no matter what crayon you choose to use first. Remember, stay creative my friend.
And if you found value in today's creative chat and you want to continue nurturing your creative journey, I personally invite you to join the Create Today Community inside this beautiful community. You can explore free tutorials, participate in workshops, enrolling courses, and benefit from personalized coaching opportunities.
Just visit www.bdicreate.today to become part of this [00:23:00] vibrant community of beautiful creatives. Thank you for joining me on this episode of BDI Create today. Remember, creativity is a daily journey and every step you take, no matter how. Small contributes to your growth, and it doesn't matter how fast you go, my friend, as long as you don't stop.
