Color overwhelm

Color Overwhelm

by Toni Walker

I have to admit that I am a lover of color. And I have fifty-ga-jillion pens in my collection to attest to it... not to mention an entire shoe box filled with colored pencils and a tub of skinny markers. Yes, I am that obsessed. I have even started succumbing to the new craze of "adult coloring."

Needless to say, color is where it's at for me. But even I, a color-loving person, can get color overwhelmed at times.

Kit I created for my Plum Paper Family Planner.

I created a kit a few weeks ago for my Plum Paper Planner. (Yep, I am a planner girl too. Name a fad, I am probably into it. I just like trying new things.) And this kit was a bright yellow-orange, green, light blue and pink creation. It was probably the most colorful kit I had made for my planner. That week, it worked for me, but as I look back on it now, I can literally feel the blast wave of color as I turn to that page. I squint my eyes as if looking into the sun... that is how much it effects me. I have included a picture here to show you the kit.

This reminds me of a time when I used to watch a show on Nickelodeon called House of Anubis. As I would watch the show, I was bombarded with so much color I felt like I might go blind. Man, is color powerful or what? The commercials were just too much (not to mention the music on them). They literally dripped with technicolor on every square inch of the screen.

So, what can we do when we experience this?

We can read. 

Most books are basically black and white and this will help to keep our color stress levels down. Maybe your body is trying to tell you something when you react to color in a big way. Red is a signal to our body when it has a security issue. It can increase our fear or stress. Orange is a color of creativity and nurturing. Yellow is a sunny color that enlists happiness and brings a clarity into our lives. Green is a color that is very soothing. But you need to watch the tones of color. An olive green might bring a more murky vibration than a spring green. Blue is a calming color. Pink is a color that can calm our nerves as well. I heard a story once about a football team that painted the away locker room in a specific color of pink. That pink acted on a subliminal level making the players feel not as pumped up as the would if the walls had been white or just beige.

We can go into nature.  

We can go outside and take a walk in nature. The color of our world is just perfect for our eyes and maybe your color overwhelm is due to being on your electronic devices a little too long. 

We can limit our color palette. 

For a few weeks I had to select two colors to work with on any spread in my planner so my color overwhelm wouldn't get too bad. 

We can turn off the tv and actually talk to the people in our lives. 

Don't worry, I am sure you can catch that missed program on Netflix or Hulu. 

That is all I can think of at the moment. 

You may even have some better ideas about how to not let color overwhelm your life. Of so, leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you. 

Have a colorific day! 

Choose To Be Kind ~ Do Not Fear

Choose To Be Kind ~ Do Not Fear

By Toni Walker

One Sunday morning not long ago I was driving to church and I had to cut through what many people consider to be the "bad part of town." I have never personally experienced anything bad but I have heard stories. I have a very good friend from this side of town. She is a self-proclaimed God girl who does Christian motivation and comedy. So, that part of town can't be all bad, right?

I was about to test this theory. 

As I was driving, I came across an older Blackman riding his bike. He had a grim expression on his face and I felt that momentarily pang of fear blossom in my chest. 

It was at this point I had a choice. Surrender to the fear and be afraid to go this way again or try something different. 

I chose to try something different. 

I chose to be kind instead and not surrender to my fear. 

I smiled and waved at the man. And then surprisingly he perked up with a big smile and gave me a giant full arm wave back. 

I didn't know him and he didn't know me. We were just two people from the same city passing each other on the street. Together we shared a brief moment of kindness that helped to heal a cracked part of my soul. 

I chose not to be afraid and it paid off. 

What have you been fearing to do or say or experience that might possibly change everything in your life?

A single action. A tiny step forward. That's how it starts, right?  I think we need to take more moments to be kind and more moments to step into our fear so we can experience the joys of this life. 

Kick fear in the face. Make today a great one.