Monday, August 25, 2008

The History of Colour


It's funny the things you remember. The things that both amp up and dampen a little piece of your spirit, those things that stay with you for years and years.

When I was a little girl, I thought that together, blue and green were the most magical colour combination in the entire world. I thought that all things blue and green were moody, delicious, inviting, intoxicating, enchanting and irresistable. I learned the word turquoise because it represented a blending of the two. I was in love.

And then someone, I think it was my dad, told me that blue and green clashed. That they, in fact, did not go together.
I was crestfallen. What had I misunderstood about the world? Did I have no taste? What did this mean about me?

I hadn't thought about the clashing story for years, until this weekend, at the Ex with my sister, this dazzling necklace caught my eye. In putting it around my neck and choosing it as mine, I reclaim my youthful love of blue and green, and I honour the sacredness of our preferences.

Do you have loves you want to reclaim?

6 comments:

Judi said...

I love blue and green together! That necklace is loverly.

eilandkind/islandchild said...

Oh, how shortsighted adults can be, I love blue and green together, it is the colour of my eyes. So, I must be a freak of nature or abnormal....
I am glad you reclaimed your two colours, wear your necklace with joy!

Suzie Ridler said...

Dad also said that blue and purple don't go together and that broke my heart! It's so silly, these colour rules. I'm actually planning on making blue and green necklaces inspired by the ocean. Yours is gorgeous!

I wore my white pants all weekend because I know they're going to get put away after Labour Day so I guess I have to work on that breaking the fashion rules idea.

daisies said...

the idea that i can't wear pink ... yes, i have troubles with soft pastels but there are so many shades that look fabulous on me :)

Anonymous said...

This post is awesome. You really captured that childhood inner dialog when we are told something that we know in our gut is untrue.

I don't think any colours clash. It's all about deliberate use of colour, any colour, when it comes to personal style.

But if I was wrong, and sometimes colours did clash, blue and green would not be 2 of them.

Beautiful earrings!

Red Onion said...

Jamie, this post brought tears to my eyes because I know EXACTLY what you mean. It's like when someone tears the veil from your eyes and informs you that pink and red (SUPPOSEDLY) clash, when in fact little kids know that pink and red are a superjuicy, superfabulous combination (up there with orange and red).

Having said that, I remember being in grade 8 and my sister telling me that the colour lavender made me look like death warmed over. I believed that for a long time and avoided lavender like crazy. And you know what? She was right! But I do periodically try on lavender just to make sure that that belief still holds true.