The Color of Creativity: Using Color to Improve Creativity

Is one particular color any more likely to inspire your creative muse than another? Moreover, if you incorporate this color into your environment, could it perhaps even increase your creative output? While I’m sure that some of you are most likely thinking “no,” the answer is actually “yes.” In fact, studies have demonstrated that color has a powerful impact upon us humans, and the colors with which we surround ourselves can have a positive—or negative—effect upon our imagination, originality, and inventiveness. And, using one particular color in our environment can, indeed, intensify our creativity. First, however, perhaps we should have a short review session on color: 

The three primary colors are yellow, red, and blue. Secondary colors are colors created by mixing primary colors. Finally, tertiary colors (called intermediate colors) are colors made by blending one primary color with one secondary color, or by blending two secondary colors. The achromatic duo is black and white, which are not considered true colors, and every color and its various hues can be achieved through some combination of two or more primary and/or secondary colors and/or the achromatic duo. For instance, if you mix blue with yellow, you get green; red with yellow, orange; red with blue, purple; green with yellow, chartreuse; or red with blue and yellow, brown. What’s more, when you blend black with white, you get gray, which is also an achromatic, but if you add a dab of yellow and blue to the mixture, you get taupe. The exact color results, of course, depend upon how much of each primary, secondary, and/or achromatic is used.

Okay, so are you now thoroughly confused? Be that as it may, the question remains: What color is most conducive to creativity?

Let’s begin with yellow, which many of us associate with sunshine, as well as happiness. When used in your environment, yellow produces “a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, and even stimulates mental activity,” according Raetta Parker (n.d.), author of “The Meaning of Colors.” On the other hand, according to David Johnson, author of “Color Psychology: Do Different Colors Affect Your Mood? (2007), you should be cautious about using yellow because “it is the most difficult color for the eye to take in” and can be overpowering if used to excess. What’s more, as Parker maintains, “Yellow is an unstable and spontaneous color that can also exert “a disturbing influence,” and studies have shown that “babies cry more in yellow rooms.” Therefore, we can safely conclude that yellow is not the best color for enhancing one’s creativity.

All right, so what about red, a color many of us associate with fire and passion? Well, according to Maleeka Spriggs, author of “Favorite Color Reveals Personality Type” (2009), in which she cites Faber Birren, author of 24 books on color, “Red is the color of extroversion, of a person with desire, appetite, and a will to live life fully.” Moreover, as Parker says, “Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.” When it comes to using red in our surroundings, however, Parker warns that we should keep in mind that it’s “a very emotionally intense color,” so red has the ability to enhance metabolism, increase respiration rate, and raise blood pressure,” leading one to the conclusion that red, like yellow, is not the ideal choice for inspiring one’s creative muse. After all, if one’s heart is pounding and blood pressure escalating, one cannot possibly be at one’s creative best.  

Lastly, we have blue. And, according to Jonah Lehrer, in an article for Science Blogs (2009), a study conducted by the University of British Columbia and published in Science (2009) showed that the color most conducive to creativity is blue because “. . . moments of creative insight are best achieved when people are in a relaxed, peaceful state of mind;” and as Johnson (200&) says, the color blue “causes the body to produce calming chemicals.” This conclusion is also supported by Parker, who says, “Blue is beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism, produces a calming effect, and is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.”

So now you have the answer: Blue. But what if you don’t like blue? Not everyone does, after all. All right, then consider using something in the green family in your surroundings (remember the foundation for green is blue mixed with yellow). As Spriggs (2009) maintains, green is associated with nature and can create a sense of health and well-being. Plus, as Parker (n.d.) says, “Green invokes feelings of safety, has great healing power, and is the most restful color for your eyes. It also symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility.”

In conclusion, in order to reach your full creative potential, while all colors are acceptable in moderation, you should perhaps consider painting your office or other creative “space” something in the blue family—any shade from sky blue to robin’s egg blue to periwinkle to blue gray, etc. However, if don’t like blue, go with a green shade, for example, sage, lime, apple, or perhaps teal or mint or asparagus. Of course, if you abhor blue and detest green, then go right ahead and use a shade of yellow or red, but limit its influence, perhaps reserving this brighter, more overpowering hue for throw pillows, vases, candles, or other accessories, and painting the walls a soft neutral. In the end, though, when it comes to decorating your surroundings, it’s really your call. After all, it’s your environment, and your environment should reflect your own unique creative personality, however flamboyant, vibrant, or un-blue it may be.  

This is a sample chapter from my book Color You Creative: Exploring Creativity and Rediscovering Your Inner Child, available at Amazon Books in both hard copy and Kindle versions.

Sources: 

Denman, K. (n.d.) Color Psychology & Color Association. Retrieved from Sewanee.edu

Johnson, D. (2007) Color Psychology: Do Different Colors Affect Your Mood? Pearson Education. Retrieved from infoplease.com

Lehrer, J. (2009) The Color of Creativity. Retrieved from scienceblogs.com

Parker, R. (n.d.) The Meaning of Color. Retrieved from resources.oncourse.iu.edu

Spriggs, M. (2009) Favorite Color Reveals Personality Type. Retrieved from weeklyworldnews.com

Jesus Christ for President in 2020: Why He Wouldn't Be Elected

We have another presidential election looming on the horizon, and, unless something changes, it’s apparently going to be a contest between our current Tweeter-in-Chief, aka Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, a man who oftentimes appears to live in an alternate reality. Not that one couldn’t say the same thing about Trump, but we won’t go there, at least not now.   

Anyway, out of curiosity I recently decided to take a poll by asking various individuals their choice for our next president. The first person I asked was one of my neighbors, who shall remain anonymous since I must live in this neighborhood.

His response was, “Neither one. They’re both scoundrels.” 

Nodding, given he had a point, I said, “Well, whose name would you like to see on the ballot?”

Removing his baseball cap, he scratched his head, slapped the cap back on, and pondered the question for a few minutes. I had just about decided he wasn’t going to reply when he finally did.

“Jesus,” he said and smiled.

“Jesus?” I echoed.

“Yep, that’s what I said, all right, Jesus.” He squinted one eye. “Can you think of a better candidate?”

“No,” I replied. “Reckon not.” After all, the Lord would surely be the only completely honest man who’d ever sat in the Oval Office, no disrespect intended for Abraham Lincoln.

After my neighbor and I parted ways, I mulled over his response, and I reached a conclusion: While no one can question the honesty of the Son of God, I seriously doubt that He would be elected, much less nominated—and that’s presuming Jesus were to miraculously appear and announce his candidacy for this nation’s highest office.

As for exactly why Jesus would not be elected, much less nominated, well, let’s examine the background and character, both positive and negative, of this hypothetical White House contender:

On the positive side:

1. Jesus Christ is definitely charismatic, and His popularity among humankind is unparalleled. In fact, over the last 2,000+ years, Jesus has established a worldwide and extremely diverse constituency, with followers numbering in the billions.
2. The Lord’s past is unsullied, so there are no skeletons rattling around in His closet for tabloids to uncover or the other party to use to destroy His credibility among voters. Granted, yes, Jesus has been known to partake of the fruit of the vine, but enjoying a glass of vino every now and then is hardly tabloid fodder.
3. The Son of God has no previous political record to tarnish His good name because He has never served in the legislature or Senate, as mayor of a city, or as governor of any state.
4. He is a miracle worker, which is a definite plus, so Jesus could effortlessly erase the national debt, terminate the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, stabilize the climate, and eradicate poverty and hunger around the globe, just as easily as he fed over 4,000 with seven loaves of bread and a few small fishes, healed the deaf and blind, walked on water, and raised the dead.   
5. Jesus would never allow his decisions to be influenced or “bought” by political action committees. After all, when Satan (probably the forefather of special-interest groups) offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,” the Son of God simply replied, “Get thee hence, Satan.”  And that was the end of that.

On the negative side, however:

1. Jesus is only 33-years-old, and a presidential candidate must be at least 35.
2. He is a Nazarene and not a citizen by birth of the United States, which is another requirement.
3. Jesus is homeless, having “nowhere to lay his head,” and, thus, has no permanent address with which to establish the residency requirement.
4. His staff consists of fishermen, a former tax collector, and some weird dude named John, who dresses in “raiment of camel hair,” with “a leathern girdle about his loins,” and dines upon “locusts and wild honey.” I mean, what kind of “PR” image does that project, huh?
5. Jesus is a pacifist, and His platform is based on “turning the other cheek,” a trait that makes His suitability for Commander in Chief in times of war rather questionable. Moreover, His aversion to violence—“Thou shalt not kill”—would probably not go over too well with the National Rifle Association, an organization that supports the right to bear arms and uses its Political Victory Fund to influence (buy) political candidates and elected officials.  
6. Jesus doesn’t dress the part. No $400 haircuts, Armani suits, and red power ties for the Son of God. He has long, shaggy hair and a beard, wears a plain wool or linen robe, depending upon the season, a pair of sandals, and looks like a 60’s flower child.
7. Since Jesus could—and surely would—end the conflict in the Middle East, the military industrial complex, subcontractors, Big Oil, and politicians who are currently making a financial “killing” from this conflict would demand His head on a platter.
8. Finally, since Jesus would not allow Himself to be influenced or “bought” by special interest groups, every decision He made would immediately be shot down by the Senate, both Republicans and Democrats alike.   

On the other hand, the above points, both pro and con, are quite irrelevant, since as I initially said, it is unlikely that Jesus Christ would be elected even if nominated.

Sure, maybe you would vote for Him. I know I most certainly would. I cannot help but think, however, that the majority of American voters, most of whom are conservative at heart, would never cast their ballots for a left-wing radical revolutionary like the Son of God.

Yes, you heard me correctly. Jesus Christ is a left-wing radical revolutionary. After all, doesn’t he sit down and dine with sinners? Doesn’t he interfere with the legal process? For example, as recorded in the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ prevented a woman taken in adultery from being stoned to death, even though stoning was the law of the land. What’s more, doesn’t Jesus condemn greed, materialism, lasciviousness, and lust? So think about it. With Him in control of this country, wouldn’t things like Cadillac Escalades, Gucci bags, Rolex watches, super-sized wide-screen TVs, X-rated movies, and girlie magazines all become things of the past? Also, what about the entire concept of capitalism? Didn’t Jesus lose His cool and go on a rampage, overthrowing tables and tossing about chairs, as He purged the temple of the money-changers? Didn’t the Son of God say that it’s easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God?

Finally, as if all of that isn’t enough to make His chances of being elected slim to none, most people would surely take exception with his social views, views that closely correspond to those of the Essenes, who espouse communitarian brotherhood and are, in fact, socialists and anarchists. Therefore, Jesus, as president, would probably have the socialist motto hanging over his desk in the Oval Office: “To each according to his need; from each according to his ability.” Seriously now, do you think the millions of Americans who believe the rich are rich because they “deserve” to be rich and the poor are poor because they’re “lazy” and prefer living on welfare are going to sit quietly by while their wealth is shared with the downtrodden and destitute of this country? Well, neither do I. After all, it isn’t the “American Way.”

And that, my friends, is why Jesus Christ, even if nominated, would never be elected President of the United States. It is also why we keep getting people sitting behind that fancy desk in the Oval Office who fail to make this country a better place for all of us—rich, poor, black, white, red, yellow, young, old, male, female, gay, or straight—and, instead, invariably seem to make conditions worse. And if you don’t think things are getting worse, then you have not been paying attention.