Perhaps it’s autumn and the colours that are in the trees, but I absolutely LOVE this time of year! It’s a time when Mother Nature burns with delight, turning leaves to many shades of gold, orange, red, burnt umber, maroon, pink, yellow… there are so many colours to mention. It’s also a time when she lets go of the dead leaves that glowed a luscious green all summer, realising it’s time to transform and return the leaves to the earth where they re-join the soil. For me, autumn is a time to take a rest after a busy fun filled summer, to re-coop and recharge my batteries throughout the winter season that follows, to ensure I have energy for spring and the year ahead. In contrast to letting go, there’s a natural colourful harvest to gather, pumpkins to pick, squashes to stew, cook and enjoy. Maybe turning fruits and vegetables into pickles to gift to neighbours is your thing, or to dollop it generously on a piece of cheese when dining with friends at home, there are so many things that spark joy.
Nature and colour
Now, why am I rambling about Autumn…? I believe it’s a time to be still, reflect on what’s been, enjoy what’s around us, and to be present in nature; it has so much to teach us about living, being in the now, and transforming from one form to another – season by season. Effortlessly, quietly, Mother Nature gets on with her business every day, 24-7, not asking for praise or recognition, she quietly does her thing.
In recent years I’ve come to understand more about nature and how it relates to colour. And how colour impacts how we feel, how we behave, and how it can be used to raise our vibration to bring comfort and tranquillity, or at the opposite end of the scale to create a sense of discomfort, even anger. Subconsciously we all relate and connect with colour in many ways, it influences our decision making when we choose clothes to purchase, our choices in the way we dress every day, and how we choose to decorate our spaces – be that an office, café, hotel, or home environment. Discovering how I relate to colour has made a huge difference in my life, my wardrobe, and in my home. Before gaining this awareness, I often felt a disconnect with some colours but not others, and now I understand why. Understanding my colour personality and how it relates too nature has been a guiding principle in all my choices and purchasing decisions when it comes to colour – and I’m keen to share this with you so you can apply it in your life.
Colour in motion: Thoughts, feelings, actions, behaviour
Just as colour has the ability to influence and change our behaviour, so do our thoughts. Have you noticed that patterns and behaviours have emerged over your lifetime? But where do these patterns and behaviours come from? Following my natural curiosity and passion for personal development I’ve discovered that thoughts become things – thoughts create feelings, feelings drive action, and a repeated action becomes a behaviour – and thus over time a pattern is created. Of course, life experiences drive and influence our thoughts and I have to constantly remind myself that thoughts and feelings are not real. It’s not to say I didn’t experience them, I did, but they do not represent reality. They are my individual experience – it’s my lens, my focus, and my thoughts that create my reality. Your thoughts and your focus creates yours too.
So, what do you want to consciously create? As I was recently reminded, if we fill our bodies with excessive calories and food that is not nutritious, we generally start to carry additional weight. Just as if we fill our minds with thoughts that aren’t helpful, true, and don’t reflect reality, then our mind can get cluttered and heavy, and our focus gets distracted. From a colour perspective, the colours we surround ourselves with subconsciously influence our thoughts, feelings, actions and resulting behaviour. It may seem obvious, but it’s incredible how the influence of colour can and does influence all aspects and areas of our lives.
Colourful conversations in everyday life
November is my birth month and what better way to celebrate than to share my joy of colour with a host of ladies at The Women’s Institute. I was invited some months ago to speak and I’m excited to be able to spread love. In my talk I’ll share a little bit about where my love of colour started, share some insights on how we relate to colour, how we communicate with colour – with a lens on well-known household brands, colour in nature – with a lens on the seasons, plus some discussion about inspiration being all round us.
If you are curious to discover more about how you personally relate to colour and the possibilities it brings, do get in touch. I’m passionate about understanding more about you, sharing the joy of colour, and helping you make it applicable in your everyday life.
Header image from Pexels – Pixabay
Brand Strategist, Colour Consultant, Coach 