If you've ever been into the psychology of color, then you know that color has a powerful influence over people. Color has the ability to alter human behavior, effect our emotions and can carry specific meanings (which differ from person to person). Each color has its own impact and meaning. Color psychology and symbolism dates back to the ancient Egyptian era and to this day used in marketing, branding and design for a reason.
Color psychology and symbolism became more of an interest to me after getting into floral arranging. Many of our clients don't specify color preferences when they order through us, so we are given free range and creative freedom when picking out what we want to use for our arrangements. I've noticed that our flower choices are influenced by our moods, although it's usually subconscious. There's been days where Sherry will go for a mix of vibrant purples... another day maybe I'll go pick out warm tones of orange. And then there are days where we go pick out flowers together, so there's definitely a mix of moods and personality going on! I've been thinking about keeping some sort of mood diary to pair with each arrangement we make. It would be cool to compare.
"Often considered a feminine energy because of its soft and gentle nature, pink really benefits both males and females as its source for balancing these energies, either between two people or balancing the yin/yang energy within ourselves. It allows for our more tender, generous and caring qualities to emerge, equalizing those energies which tend to skew in one direction or another. Pink can be a great de-stressor. Its energy helps us to unwind, trust and begin to relax. It helps us to accept the things we cannot change and the ability to know the difference. It is a great color for treating complacency. It helps us to accept where we are in our life right now, with enough understanding as to how we make our next move. Pink soothes the heart energy and allows us to love, embrace and acknowledge the love for others as well as the love we need for ourselves."
— peacefulmind.com
When flower arranging, I've noticed that I really enjoy being in a pink state of mind. Probably for many of the reasons having to do with the paragraph above. The world is a very stressful place, whether dealing with big stresses or small annoyances, so it makes a lot of sense why we might have a strong connection to pink! Some of my favorite flower arrangements that Sherry and/or myself have made have consisted of beautiful arrays of pink. I've always been a lover of black and white, and I find it funny that it took flowers to make me realize that I F*%K!NG LOVE PINK!!
To learn more about color psychology, visit colorpsychology.org. I got lost on their site for awhile!
photos by Nicolas Alexander
