Are you getting enough colour in your life?

When I was little I wanted to invent a new colour.  Then as I looked around I realised that nature had already invented every colour I could think of, so I would have to discover one instead.
 
Despite my unfulfilled discovery and passion for opalescence (from petrol spills to pigeon frills), I slotted into some fairly predictable colour favourites.  In my teens I painted all my bedroom furniture bright pink (heart chakra), which in hindsight looked pretty revolting.  Then, as I ventured from the nest, my favourite switched to green (an alternate heart colour), beautiful deep emerald green.  Then purple (crown chakra), which I'd probably still list as my favourite.  Yet whatever my colour of the day, I still wore mostly black and furnished my home in neutrals.  They always seemed the easiest options.
 
Wearing black (typical Scorpio) as a base mean throwing together an outfit in no time.  Adding a scarf or chunky beads to give the impression that I’d actually made an effort.

Using neutral colours living in small spaces, prevented them from looking overcrowded.  So when we finally moved into an adult sized townhouse we maintained our neutral furnishing palate out of habit as much as convenience.
 
However last year something shifted and we both felt the need to add colour.  Slowly, one piece in one room at a time, we began the change.  A few cushions here, a lampshade there, new doona covers, then the final banishing of our brown and beige rugs all gave the place a fresh look and feel.  

As the transition continued, I noticed that colour also began to increase in other areas of life.  Our meals became more colourful, think rich pumpkin soups, fresh grated beetroot, bright green pesto, purple berry infused porridge, and the most amazing looking salads. My wardrobe also began to show more splashes than bases, with patterned scarves brightening existing outfits and connecting other items with each other.  As we acclimatised to the extra colour we became more playful, painting cupboard boarders, window frames, and stencilling the walls.
 
Another unexpected outcome was a burst in my energy.  I've heard that age is just a fading of your colours, and I seemed to be proving this in reverse.  The more colour I added the more energy I seemed to have.  As the cycle continued I also noticed I was feeling more creative - a bad purchase for a bedspread became an amazing looking tablecloth, hidden items of mismatched glassware were now features in different spaces.

Colour is part of life, it’s natural in creation.  Colours resonate with our chakras and can show where we need support or reinforcement.  They can impact our energy levels, our creativity, and other intangible parts of our lives.

As if to reinforce this remembered knowledge (the way the Universe loves to), we finished the year by exchanging Christmas gifts with some friends who weren’t in on our colour transformation.  What do you think they gave us?  A colouring book each and a set of coloured pencils.
 
I doubt I’ll ever lose my love of the calmness of a neutral room but I now understand that colour doesn't have to feel aggressive or intense.  A splash is enough to brighten a room, a plate, an outfit, or your day.
 
So think about it.  Where in your life is there room for more colour?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.