Meaningful Color: Purple Love

The lilacs are in full bloom! My husband keeps surprising me with bouquets from other people's gardens(!) so I don't have to cut mine, but I couldn't resist bringing in a few blooms to brighten my home. I'm on a huge purple kick these day—just bought a purple work-out shirt, snagged a deep purple bracelet, and placed a lilac-scented candle in the living room.

What I've learned over the years about color psychology is that we're usually drawn to a particular color when we're in need of the traits in represents. So what does purple mean?

Purple (violet) is contemplative, meditative, spiritual, soul-searching, intuitive, mysterious, and enchanting. In ancient times, purple (the spectrum's darkest color) was only affordable by the church and royalty due to the difficult and costly process it takes to create the color, In fact, purple was 20 times more valuable than gold! Purple embodies the balance of red's stimulation and blue's calm. The dichotomy can cause unrest or uneasiness unless the undertone is clearly defined, at which point it takes on the characteristics of its undertone. Purple encourages emotional depth and personal growth.

Well, I guess I'm in for a little soul-searching time. Maybe those shifting sands I mentioned a while ago will allow me to steady myself.

Color Inspiration

BM 1403 French Lilac, SW 6832 Impulsive Purple, BM 1419 Persian Violet, BM 1389 Wishing Well