Color Psychology

So I am working on a project and I noticed that once again I am using the color purple and it made me think, why do I use purple so much? My favorite color happens to be blue and yet, when I create, I normally gravitate towards purple, this led to an extensive review of my beads and materials and what do ya know, I have an abundance of purple materials; beads, clay, even some of my tools have purple handles.

With the above being said, I decided to give color more thought; when I am creating, what feeling am I trying to evoke with my use of color. Admittedly, most times, I just grab and go and there is no true thought about how the colors I have chosen will affect the over all outcome of my piece. I have glanced at the color wheel to get a good idea of contrast and complimentary colors but that is as far as I go.

What I noticed from my research is that there is psychology behind color (oh yes it gets deep); see colors can affect our emotional state; for instance, in doctor offices blues are normally used; why? Blue is the color of trust and responsibility and promotes both physical and mental relaxation; in addition, blue also seeks peace and tranquility (empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com). No wonder I love the color blue! However, when I create, I am not looking to create peaceful or tranquil pieces; I want to create sophisticated pieces that are beautiful, fun, and even a bit quirky; because I think that this is my true personality, not just a mental state or emotion I seek.

 

Now get ready to have your minds blown; I look up the color purple and ….
Purple is the color of the imagination. It can be creative and individual or immature and impractical.
The color purple relates to the imagination and spirituality. It stimulates the imagination and inspires high ideals. It is an introspective color, allowing us to get in touch with our deeper thoughts.
Purple or violet assists those who seek the meaning of life and spiritual fulfillment - it expands our awareness, connecting us to a higher consciousness.
The color purple is specifically associated with royalty and the nobility, creating an impression of luxury, wealth and extravagance.
Purple has power. It has a richness and quality to it that demands respect. Purple is ambitious and self-assured, the leader. (empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com)

 

The above describes me quite accurately and I am pretty convinced that this is the reason I incorporate the color purple more often than any other color in my pieces. I also believe that one can love the mental and emotional qualities of another color, in my case, the color blue, but still have a subconcious favorite color that conveys ones personality traits, be them good or bad, and therefore gravitate towards that color, especially when expressing oneself artistically.

So I would like to know, do you create using your favorite color or do you gravitate towards a different color other than your favorite? In addition, what does your favorite color and/or the color you use most to create say about you and your personality traits?

Please note: Color psychology, like most sciences, have many interpretations, therefore, the information I have used is only as accurate as the writer and can merely be a coincidence, however, I thought it a great topic and quite fun to consider.