Color - Don't Be A Wage Slave

Color is truly such an interesting phenomenon. We transpose it onto images and concepts to enhance their beauty and memorability. Everyone can recall a time when they felt blue and mentally disheveled, and then someone gave you a colorful gift or a bouquet of magnificent roses. This instantly elevated your mood and sense of purpose. Such is the quiet power of suggestion.

We have great difficulty with a black and white world. Expressions such as “She has a colorful personality” or “He is much too black and white for my taste” frame our understanding of people or circumstances, and how they relate to reality. In history, the color purple has a unique pedigree. It sheathed royalty in its protective warmth. “To be born in the purple” meant to be of regal lineage. In ancient times, this ensured that the “divine right of kings” (1) was preserved. If you were caught contravening this rule, however, you could be unduly punished. Henry the 8th, in one of his more despicable edicts, sentenced Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, to death for high treason — wearing purple, even though insignificant, only added to his guilt. He has the dubious notoriety of being the last person executed under the sick and aging Tudor king. (2)

The purple royalty used during the Greco-Roman and Byzantine eras was manufactured in Tyre and the surrounding endroit. Tyrian purple was produced from the hypobranchial gland of predatory sea snails. Thousands upon thousands of these tiny creatures had to be sacrificed to yield just 1 gram of concentrate — hence its rarity and astronomical price. (3) This all changed in 1856, when Sir William Henry Perkin accidentally synthesized artificial purple and “the rest is history,” as they say.

Today, when you walk down a street in any Western city, you are confronted with a veritable kaleidoscope of hair colors. By contrast, traditionally, in Asian cities, virtually everyone had black hair. This was acceptable until modern times. Now we see a range of colors. People choose to be blonde — the most popular — and pink. In fact, the other day, I saw green hair streaked with yellow blushes for contrast — stunning!

This lends itself, ultimately, to style and one’s personal brand. Today, everyone is 100% in modern society: Most people are relatively good-looking; they have symmetrical teeth, and some money in the bank. So what makes me different? What makes me 100% plus? This can only be my style and the way I wear color. I think many of us forget that our minds are private. No one can gaze inside my being and observe my pure thoughts and emotions. You, therefore, have to express these emotions through the body. Your command of conversation, of course, also leaves a certain impression.

It is impossible to believe that someone poorly dressed at a banquet is well respected. And yes, it is true, there are the rare exceptions wherein the wise and profound intellectual or artist “is given a pass.” They are acknowledged to be unique. But, for the most part, if your presentation and your matching colors are inconsistent with the event, you are judged accordingly. On the subject of color, it is natural that everyone has an ideal color or, more definitively, a season. You could be an autumn, winter, spring, or summer. You must find an ideal look. (4)

The question ultimately becomes: why not? If you only have one reality in this consciousness, why not look the very best you can: why not? Why be drab? Why be a nobody? If you think of a personality like Lady Gaga. (5) She is renowned for her sense of color and sense of style. Remember your own sense of color, and that inner and outer beauty may be cultivated. Wassily Kandinsky leaves us with a thought: Color is a power which directly influences the soul. (6)

A closing thought: The world is a vibrant and dynamic place. It is important to nurture my “eye for color and for style.” This will enhance my personal brand and open new pathways in life. It is an extremely colorful world if we choose to make it so.

To sum up: This week, we spoke about the impact of color in our lives.

To be noted: From Roman times — The autumn of beauty is still beautiful.

Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8vE1s0IX_4&list=RDn8vE1s0IX_4

For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Rp1OiFCK0&t=4s

This week, on your joyous walk, please reflect on the colorful world we live in

Every day, look for something magical and beautiful.

Don’t be a wage slave — critical thinking is great!

http://www.dbawageslave.com

Quote: Light illuminates beauty

Footnotes:

1) https://www.britannica.com/topic/divine-right-of-kings

2) https://europeanroyalhistory.wordpress.com/2023/01/13/january-13-1547-henry-howard-earl-of-surrey-is-sentenced-to-death-for-treason/