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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Getting to know you

Remember when we were kids and the first question we asked a new friend was, "What's your favorite color?" What was it about this question that made us decide we could be friends with the new kid? Was it really the most personal question we could think of? And did it really matter what the answer was?

When I was a kid, my favorite color was blue. It was most likely pink or purple when I was very young, but when I got old enough to really think about it, I decided it was blue. I liked how as a young girl, blue set me apart. I felt like an individual, a trend setter, and a woman who thought for herself. Besides using the color to set myself apart, I also really liked it. I found it calming and peaceful.

For years while I was in college, I taught Spanish part time to elementary school age kids. When teaching the colors, I would ask the kids what their favorite color was. About 90% of the girls said their favorite color was either rosa or morado. Is this a requirement for girls under 8 years old?

Later in life, my favorite color changed to red, which I felt spoke to me more than blue. And most recently I've been teetering on changing it to brown. Does this say anything about me? Some people say it does, but I'm not sure. From time to time, I still get asked what my favorite color is. Unfortunately, it's not the defining question it once was. Now, of course, the first question people ask is "what do you do?" If they asked me what my favorite color is, I might like them more.

Just recently, a coworker asked all of us in the office what our favorite color is. Surprisingly, this question stressed some people out. They thought about it for days, going back and forth between their top three or five favorite colors, finding it painful to choose just one. I thought that this coworker was asking us our favorite color for a reason - but nothing ever manifested as a result of the question. She was just curious. So now I'm curious. What's your favorite color?

I'm going to put a poll on the side. You know I love polls - plus, it's easier for you to respond. You don't have to click on "comment" and come up with something clever to say.

And no pressure. I'll be your friend no matter what your favorite color is! Unless it's orange. But that's a given.

10 comments:

Kathy said...

Although I voted for blue, I still find it difficult to be defined by one color. They're all so pretty! And some are more complimenting against my skin tone. But in the end, blue dominates my home decor and wardrobe.

Michelle Williams said...

All shades of blue are the most prevalent colors in my wardrobe, but I have bright reds and corals too. I LOVE brown and red together, well brown and any vibrant color like teal too. Lots of vibrant color period! I have yellow walls and a deep burgandy accent wall in my house and as an artist.... I need the richness of all colors for my eyes to relish. I push color in my paintings making grey cement a warm golden yellow. But I am slowly beginning to love the more neutral colors of browns, greys, navys and other more greyed down vertions of the primary colors. Why? Because when you put them next to a vibrant color it makes it POP that much more and creates focal points. It also importantly, gives places of rest for the eyes and helps create an emotional responce to a painting, gives it a mood. HAHA guess you pushed an important button for me this time, color me vibrantly or not at all!

Anonymous said...

I've always loved Purple. And then I fell in love with Prince when I was 6 and a half which strengthened my love for it. Anwen seems to do a ton of the same things I did when I was her age (yay DNA) and her favorite color right now is purple.

A side note: the color Brown is used in theatre and creative writing (not always, but often) to describe lack of smarts and/or dirtiness. Think of Mr. Hall in the movie Clueless. He was usually in Brown and he wasn't a bright character. I'm not saying you're dull, I'm just giving you some insight.

Thanks for entering the contest. It's pretty important to me that it be successful! :)

Adam and I have the flu today!

Elizabeth Downie said...

I think of brown as rich and warm, but dirty and dull work too. Maybe I'm deluding myself. ;)

Kathy said...

I always think of doo-doo when I think of brown. is that why you like it? (i'm sorry i wrote doo-doo on your blog.) :)- But I found an interesting description of what it means to like brown:

"Brown is the color of stability and reliability. Associated with all things organic, studies show that when asked what their favorite color is, men pick brown over any other color. Brown gives off a feeling of connection with the earth and all that is natural."

Melanie Carbine said...

When I was little, I adopted my mom's favorite color which was dark green. This is not actually my favorite color. I like lime green much more. But, of course, orange is my favorite color.

Katherine said...

I'm a red girl through and through! I like specific shades of red - burgundy and maroons, with purple coming into the number 2 slot. Green's up there, too. However, when I was 9 and broke my arm, I had a purple cast first, then a pink one! I really think that it IS some sort of little girl requirement to have those as your favorite colors.

alecia said...

I've been saying yellow for years, even though I wear mostly pink. It's just become part of who I am, I guess. Who is the other yellow in the poll? Yellows are rare, I find. And I suppose that is why I stick with it.

David and Linda said...

What does it say about me that I still like the color purple way after my eighth birthday?

Sarah said...

Oh no, I picked orange!! I only recently came to love orange, and it happened without my being aware of it at all. I was walking down the street a few days ago and a friend took a picture of me, in which I noticed that I had on an orange t-shirt, with my orange purse, and an orange shopping bag, drinking an orange slush...DANG!! Normally, I'd have said blue, or brown, or green, but I had to run with this orange thing while it lasts. :)