This week we Talk About COLOUR – colour theory, trends, how we communicate with it, five fascinating facts, colour of the year, and quotes!

(you can skim this blog or click on the many LINKS to learn more)

?FIRST – THE PODCAST

For this week’s podcast focusing on COLOUR, I interview three talented guest experts whose careers all focus, to some extent, on colour. There’s advertising executive-turned-fabric store owner Daryl Aitken of Fabric Spark, mom of four boys and decorator Jenn Purkis of X&In Design, and trapeze artist-turned-professional photographer Lori Ryerson of Focalocity. I can’t wait for you to meet them all!

Photographer Lori Ryerson of Focalocity with Andrea

As you will soon hear, I am obsessed with colour (especially turquoise). In fact, I have been planning this episode since the inception of TalkAboutTalk. Colour TALKS to me. It turns out, colour speaks to all of us. Listen in to learn how you are affected by colour and how you can communicate with colour. We talk colour theory, our perceptions of colour, and colour trends. I am grateful to learn from the expertise of our three guests, Daryl, Jenn and Lori. And a heads up: in a few weeks Daryl, Jenn and Lori will join us again for a new episode, this time focusing on “Expressing Your Creativity.”

Thank you, Daryl & Jenn & Lori!

FIVE FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT COLOUR

BLUE is the most popular colour on the planet. The favourite of both men and women, and across countries. WHY? That is less clear, It could be that it reminds us of the sky and/or water. It could be that it calms our brans. Or it could be that blue makes us smarter! So what? Well, if you’re buying a gift and have to choose a colour, blue is the safe choice. If you’re choosing what to wear for a TV interview or a presentation, ditto, blue is the way to go.
It wasn’t always “Pink for girls and Baby-blue for boys.” Until the mid 19th century, most babies wore white. In the 1940s, manufacturers (and then parents) started to dress their girls in pink. Nowadays, it is all starting to “blur”… babies are neutral greys and beiges. And it is not uncommon for men to wear pink dress shirts. (An aside regarding pink: some high security prisons are painted pink in order to calm the inmates!)
Colours help improve memory. Apparently using coloured pens and markers can help you prepare for an exam. However, red can impair cognitive performance. So… get out your highlighters and put away your red pen!
All else equal, white cars are the safest and black is the least safe colour. Sure, there are many colours from which to choose. But if you really don’t care, why not just go with white? (Q: do the insurance companies know about this?)
Colours do not actually exist. Wait – what??? Apparently it’s all in your head. What does exist is LIGHT and WAVELENGTHS. Your brain reads these as colour. Thank goodness, right?

?COLOURS OF THE YEAR

Yes, colours can be trendy. Check out car dealerships, clothing retailers, makeup counters, and home decor retailers. Of course, paint manufacturers highlight their colours and palettes of the year.

Many would argue that Pantone is the authority on colour and colour trends. The Pantone colours of the year for the past three years are “Living Coral” (2019), “Ultra Violet” (2018) and “Greenery” (2017):

?QUOTES WORTH TALKING ABOUT

Every week we share a few quotes worth talking about. This week we focus on… COLOUR!

I hope you enjoy this week’s podcast on COLOUR.

❤️THANK YOU❤️ to the many of you who have reached out to me recently with suggestions, questions, and compliments. I appreciate it more than you can imagine. ? (For the record – YES, Stephanie Rudnick and I really did sit on the cold, filthy floor of a high school corridor. And I agree [& know from personal experience] that the exercises that Michael Boydell recommends work wonders…) Please keep it coming! You can always connect with me at https://talkabouttalk.com/.

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