Creativity is the capacity to look at the same thing in different ways, thereby uncovering new solutions or new directions that can be pursued. This ability is represented in the colors yellow, green, orange, blue, and purple.
These are all vibrant colors that should stimulate people’s creative brains, helping them to think from new perspectives. When you see creative works, you’ll notice that they’re often full of colors that jump off the canvas because they’re so catchy.
Colors that Represent Creativity
1. Blue As A Color Of Creativity
As the color of the ocean and the sky, blue brings about feelings of freedom, serenity, and reliability. It encourages open-mindedness and allows a person to think freely, going beyond the restraints of society and normal expectations.
Blue also inspires open discussions among groups as it evokes trust and confidence between the people inside the room.
Research has shown that blue has the ability to boost creativity in people, thus it is recommended for rooms that are used for discussions and brainstorming.
It makes people feel safe to explore and bring up new ideas, think out of the box, and generate fresh concepts.
Likewise, blue also makes people more receptive to accepting and processing new ideas. The color, therefore, works well when introducing innovative products and services.
2. Green As A Color Of Creativity
Refreshing and rejuvenating, green is commonly linked to nature and as such, is often used to signify growth, renewal, life, and prosperity.
When people are stressed, burnt out, or feel like they are stuck on a problem, they are often advised to go outside and take a breather. The reason for this is that standing in open spaces and being surrounded by trees help in easing the mind and boosting creativity.
Several studies about creativity have supported this belief.
In some studies, respondents were asked to take creativity tests while being exposed to different colors. Other studies used live plants and open windows showing nature to compare the effect on the respondents’ creativity.
In both types of study, the researchers have established the effectiveness of green in sparking innovation and creativity more so than many other colors.
The reason for this effect is believed to be rooted in the power of nature to remind people about life and growth.
Being surrounded by things and colors related to nature then serves as motivation for individuals to strive for improvement and to keep moving forward.
3. Orange As A Color Of Creativity
Orange is a bright and vibrant color that is strongly associated with autumn and the changing of the seasons. Orange inspires creativity as it stands for adaptation, change, and progress.
It is a warm color that can energize and stimulate the senses. It’s able to grab attention but without the aggression or attacking feeling from other warm colors like red.
As a combination of red and yellow, orange tames the overwhelming aspects of each color yet at the same time brings with it the positive aspects of both colors such as optimism, strength, joy, cheerfulness, and enthusiasm.
Having orange in a room can be motivating and inspiring, driving people to pay attention to a discussion and to also come up with their own ideas.
In fashion, orange gives a person an artistic vibe because the color stands out from the crowd and thus communicates individuality and self-expression. It does not conform to social standards and norms and instead creates its own rules as it adheres to free thinking.
Physically, orange is believed to improve and provoke mental activity by increasing oxygen supply to the brain.
Orange is also the color of the sacral chakra or the second chakra, which is located near the navel. Chakras are used in meditation practices and are based on the Hindu belief that there are energy points in the body, positioned along the spine up to the top of the head.
These energy points are connected to the life force of the universe and govern the major bodily functions, as well as a person’s thoughts and emotions.
The sacral chakra is linked to the reproductive organs, lymphatic nodes, circulatory system, and digestive system. As such, it governs an individual’s sexuality and creativity, as well as his need for intimacy and his emotional health. It is all about worldly pleasures and being able to enjoy everything that life has to offer.
This chakra is also based on the water element, which inspires fluidity, openness, and flexibility. It encourages open communication and self-expression, particularly when it comes to feelings and sexuality.
4. Purple As A Color Of Creativity
As the color of mystery, magic, fantasy, and imagination, it is not surprising that purple is also associated with creativity.
Purple has a mystical effect, capable of making people think of the spiritual, the supernatural, and other concepts that cannot be explained by science.
Traditionally, purple is perceived as the color of wealth, nobility, and royalty.
This is because the production of this shade in ancient times used to be so expensive that only the rich could afford to use this color in their clothes and houses.
In visual arts, purple is believed to spark creativity and imagination because it is seldom seen in nature. It is a rare sight in plants and animals, and very few flowers carry the purple color naturally.
Because of this, the shade has been linked to thinking outside the box, or living beyond social norms and expectations.
5. Yellow As A Color Of Creativity
A bright and optimistic color, yellow can stimulate and energize the mind as it reminds one of sunshine and daylight.
Because the human brain is wired to interpret sunlight as a signal to wake up and darkness as a signal to sleep, yellow influences the body to stay alert and upbeat.
This then stimulates creativity.
If used in interior design, yellow can perk up the people inside and get their creative juices flowing.
But too much yellow can also be straining to the eyes and make one feel stressed or drained. Thus, the use of this color has to be balanced by mixing and matching it with other colors to tone down its stimulating effect.
Yellow is also the color of happiness, hope, and enlightenment.
It is a well-recognized tint that has been around for thousands of years and is considered one of the primary colors in the color chart.
Traces of yellow has been found in cave art dating as far back as 17,000 years old. Ancient Egyptians also liked using yellow in artwork and murals because of its likeness to gold.
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FAQ: What is Creativity?
Creativity requires the ability to tap into your imagination to explore new ideas and opportunities. It is usually driven by the need to solve a problem, address an unanswered need, or to improve quality of life.
Creative people usually think differently from others. They see the world through a unique lens, and this enables them to process information differently compared to regular people. Because of this, they have the power to change the course of the future, both in a negative and a positive aspect.
It may seem easy to someone looking in from the outside. People often put creativity down to a “talent” that someone is born with.
But the truth is, creativity takes a lot of hard work because it is anchored in deep knowledge, understanding, and mastery of a topic or a set of topics.
It takes a combination of conscious effort, grit, tenacity, and a strong passion to drive change in order creativity to work. A person cannot be creative if he does not have a good grasp of the field of study.
And because creativity is a result of a person’s conscious decision and series of choices, there are ways wherein creativity can be influenced and triggered.
Surrounding oneself with colors that spark creativity is one of those ways. Offices, bedrooms, study rooms, library, and other places that are used for studying, discussion, and thinking will benefit greatly when using colors that inspire creativity.
Conclusion
Contrary to some beliefs, creativity is not simply a talent that one has to be born with. It can be developed through training, discipline, and hard work.
Creative people are able to think of new ideas and propose new concepts because they already have spent years studying and understanding their area of interest. But like any other skill, creativity can sometimes be drained, and a person can find himself declining or stuck in a rut.
In these situations, using the right colors appropriately may help restore or rejuvenate the lost passion for one’s craft. Sometimes, even just briefly glancing at these colors can already make your creative juices run again.
I’m Chris and I run this website – a resource about symbolism, metaphors, idioms, and a whole lot more! Thanks for dropping by.