Is there something in your life that brings you fizzing, vivacious, indescribable joy for no articulately definable reason? The smell of a freshly mown lawn, the warm embrace of a towel recently removed from the dryer, the tickle of sunshine upon your neck on a warm spring day? For me, it’s color (well, really it’s writing, but stay tuned). I love color. I appreciate color. I need color. Not only is color a form of expression, but it embodies a very tangible entity of personality; indeed, color takes on life—in fact one might argue it gives life– and holds a certain beauty that both connotes and reinforces the vivacity that surrounds us.
In fact, not only does color suggest life, but it also increases the quality of life. Numerous studies have linked color to mood, emotion, and happiness and imply that color has a significant hold and influence over one’s health and holistic well-being. Newsflash: Color is kind of a big deal.
Hence, while searching for an interesting topic to blog about, it is, perhaps, unsurprising that color illuminated my interest. Great: So I know that I like color. Now what do I do with it?
Writers who undergo “tasks” or “quests” of some kind fascinate me. Specifically, I have scoured every book Gretchen Rubin has ever written, not because I believe that what she has to say is particularly revelatory or unprecedented in any definitive way, but because she challenges herself to explore burning curiosities or thought-provoking themes and intentionally applies them to her everyday life. Similarly, writers such as Julie Powell intrigue me with their daring commitments to transcend the boundaries of their comfort zones and dedicate themselves to faithfully investigate endeavors that force them to grow in some greater way. And, while I am no psychologist/happiness expert, nor am I a modern-day Julia Child equipped to fully tackle an ambitious project that recreates the wheel, I do seek to unpack elements of my own pleasures and curiosities that are associated with and triggered by color.
So here’s my idea: It’s a tad unconventional, so bear with me. I have decided to blog my way through a crayon box. A crayon box? Is she crazy? Well, yes, but that’s irrelevant here. My plan is to select one crayon at a time to use as my vibrant muse. Specifically, my selection will demand that I write a blog post directly centering on that day’s color. And this is not just any crayon box, mind you. Oh yes, acting upon this spark of creativity, I thrust my way through Target’s sliding glass doors with a very clear objective in mind: I was a woman on a mission. (Is there really any other way to make an entrance into Target?) I wanted to find the largest box of crayons the human mind can possibly wrap itself around. And I found it. Well, I actually don’t know about that, but it is the largest box of crayons that I can possibly wrap my mind around (and that the Target near my house carries): 120 big ones. I would like to comment that it seems kids these days are really moving up in the world: Back in my day I thought 64 crayons (with the sharpener on the back of box course, of course) was a mind-blowing Pandora’s treasure trove of possibilities. And, while 64 crayons is certainly nothing to scoff at, I couldn’t restrain my inner fourth-grader by bringing home the doodlers that would help me tackle even the Mount Everest of creative feats.
The parameters I am setting for myself don’t extend much further than that. Clearly this is uncharted territory. I am requiring myself to somehow write a post that develops a story, explores a question, unpacks a theme, or investigates a social commentary, etc., all revolving around said color of the day. In a sense, I don’t quite know where this is going, and yet, I am intrigued by the creativity of the vast unknown and simultaneously know exactly where it is going. As Flannery O’Connor famously penned, “I don’t know what I think until I read what I say:” I don’t know where this blog is headed, but I have had a “colorful” spark of inspiration and am intrigued enough to pursue answers.
While trying to organize my thoughts, I was inevitably perusing Pinterest and stumbled upon a quote that read, “Life is about using the whole box of crayons.” What a tantalizing thought: The English teacher in me is tickled pink (pun intended) by the myriad of extrapolations and metaphors this simple phrase holds. Who doesn’t want to live life to its fullest?
This blog is my written commitment to seek possibility in every corner; to uncover the beauty in the infinite moments that comprise daily life; to employ every tool, asset, and gift at my disposal to the full extent of its capabilities; to slow down and appreciate the countless hues that color this grand artwork we call life.
While seeking to summon inspiration and articulate an expectation for what this project is going to look like, I can’t help but defer to one of my favorite movies of all time, Dan in Real Life, for it’s insightful genius. As Steve Carell’s character, Dan, profoundly captures truth in the last lines of the movie, he ruminates, “I want to talk to you about the subject of plans… life plans and how we all make them… But if we’re really honest with ourselves, most of our plans don’t work out as we’d hoped. So instead of asking our young people, ‘What are your plans? What do you plan to do with your life?’, maybe we should tell them this: Plan… to be surprised.”
What he said. Why limit oneself in a world teeming with vibrant possibility? Pull a Disney and paint with all the colors of the wind. Embody your inner Lilly and “Lead a colorful life!” Be a Fruit Loop in a world of Cheerios. There is no need for coloring inside the lines. Here is to exploring the beauty that colors the limitless facets of life: To using the whole box of crayons!
I don’t know where this blog is going. I don’t necessarily know where I am going. But I do know one thing: Plan to be surprised.
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