The Vitamins of the Soul

“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Like it or not, many of us live in fast-paced worlds, where cities are sprawling, desks and cubicles draw us into isolated work zones, and we spend more time than ever in dull, confined spaces with artificial light sources. In this world of commerce and consumerism, there’s a burgeoning wave of souls who are trying to remind us all to return to our roots, to return to career paths that bring us joy, and to spend more time in nature. One thing nature does so well is color!

I just got to witness another Pennsylvania autumn, where the firework display of leaves was magnificent as usual. In Panama a few years ago, I saw the blue morpho butterfly, and the vivid color of the hot lips plant in the Mamoni rainforest.  In natural settings, we see these glorious displays of color all around us. But when we live in cities or urbanized areas, we need to bring the rainbow back into our homes and workplaces, and back into our daily lives!

“Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” ~ Wassily Kandinsky, Russian painter and art theorist

Chromotherapy was popular in the Victorian era, but in the disillusioned 20th century studies involving color were widely dismissed. Today scientists and psychologists are discovering the power of light and color to affect our moods and even our physiology.

Pink rooms are becoming increasingly common in hospitals and even some correctional facilities, as violent residents are able to find calm within the bubble-gum pink walls without the need of restraint! A perfect example of how our minds and bodies directly work with color. 

We can learn to use colors that feed our soul in our homes and workplaces, and of course, we have the freedom to utilize the rainbow when we are making art!  Painting gives us the opportunity to work with colors freely, and to use the colors that we are drawn to in that moment. There’s nothing like sitting down with a blank canvas, looking at the array of colors in your paint, and the endless possibilities of the colors you can create with them. As Dana Lynne Andersen says, “Colors are the vitamins of the soul!” And as we let the colors flow out of us, the paintings we create become our medicine.

“Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colors; let me swallow the sunset and drink the rainbow…” ~ Kahlil Gibran

Come paint with us and get your FIX! https://awakeningartsacademy.com/events/painting-heart-soul/  

 

~ article by Karuna