Colour your life

When I first started teaching and tried to introduce poetry writing to very self-conscious adults, I set them a task of writing a poem, which asked them to describe themselves as a colour in a sentence It is fascinating to read how people saw themselves without saying anything.

For many years I have loved colour and how I feel when I am surround by colours. A really good example is when I enter a wool shop. Being immersed by the different colours and shades seem to produce a sort of balm to my mind. I don’t knit much but just looking around is so good form. The same is in material shops. Again I don’t really sew but sometimes I buy a fat quarter (a folded Quarter of a metre used for patchwork) in a colour and design that speaks to me and that has the same effect.

The idea can be extended into nature. A walk in a park with flower beds really raises the spirits but another way is through art. This can be anything form watercolour, pastels or simply colouring pencils. There are lots of colouring books available, but I prefer those that have geometric designs, as you don’t get caught up with the narrative of the picture. Colouring is definitely not just for children.

So, there are two tasks today!

• 1.   To try and write yourself as a colour.
• 2.   Try colouring a picture. You don’t have to follow expected colours. Trees could be pink, grass blue! Go mad and have fun. 

The words that follow are about colours and the effect they can have on people.  I will be adding to this at a later time. 

Green — Calm, Renewal, Steadiness

Poem: “Green Holds You”

Green is the quiet field
after the storm has passed,
a place where breath returns
and nothing asks too much.

Prompt

“Think of a place where you feel steady. What shade of green belongs there?”

Warm Yellow — Hope, Soft Energy, Morning Light

Poem: “Yellow Arrives Gently”

Yellow doesn’t rush in.
It slips through the curtains,
lays a small warmth on your hands,
and whispers, start here.

Prompt

“What small thing today brings you a little light?”

Rose Pink — Kindness, Self‑Compassion, Comfort

Poem: “Pink Says Be Gentle”

Pink is the colour
that sits beside you quietly,
holding the cup,
waiting for your heart to soften.

Prompt

“If you could offer yourself one kindness today, what colour would it be?”