What color is creativity?

Jewelry Discussion
1

I pose this question to the most creative group of people I know,
all you talented and generous Orchidians.

Well my studio is finally coming together and soon there will be
sheetrock to paint! Being one affected by and senstive to my
environment, color means alot. I can paint the walls any way I like
and the sky’s the limit. Probably should do white for optimum light
but that is so boring. I do have windows and a modest amount of
natural light.

My question is this. What type of surroundings do you work best in?
What colors etc. fuel creativity? Any Feng Shui enthusiasts out
there?

Friend in Metals,
Cyndy

2

According to the teachings of feng shui, space for creativity should
be based in the west part of buildings. Try to make a room
specifically for creative purposes in that area.

The east represents ambition, growth, strong vibrant energy, family
and good health. In an office the east is an excellent location for
computers and other high-tech equipment, technical design and
training areas. The east has very active chi energy, where ambitions
can be realised.

Experts suggest introducing a water feature to activate the wealth
sector of the office, the southeast corner. Use an aquarium with live
fish to symbolise growth, or a small revolving fountain to represent
continuous turnover.

Feng shui creative colours

Use metallic colours such as creams, silvery greys

Use real metals such as brass, copper, stainless steel, cast iron,
gold, silver, chrome

Round and shiny objects are good, they are known as ‘the bringer of
storms’ or in a modern sense, ‘the bringer of good ideas’. They raise
the natural chi energies, zing them up and help with creative
brainpower

Back the metal colours up with earthy ones for strength and
solidarity terracotta, yellow, caramel, brown, pinks, lilacs,
lavenders, peach, apricots

Of the colours mentioned you can just pick a few of your favourites
you don’t have to use them all!

Minimising stress

Idea generation can be blocked by too much stress in your life.
Stress in the office can be caused by a seemingly endless cocktail
of problems, which build up the pressure and allow no release.
Ancient Eastern philosophy extols the channelling of natural 'chi’
energies by modifying your internal (your mindset) and external (your
surroundings) landscapes.

Modifying the external landscapes involves making the office
environment friendly instead of antagonistic. Colours, interior
design, mirrors, lights, plants, seating, desk positions, plus
careful use of ornaments, pictures and soft furnishings can all help
to radically improve the surroundings in a workplace. Clutter and
untidiness should be avoided.

However, without a big interior design budget it is usually more
viable to de-stress people rather than surroundings. Breathing
awareness exercises, meditation, affirmations and visualisation can
be used to de-stress and clear the mind of everyday clutter to make
space for ideas.

hth
Mark

3 
Probably should do white for optimum light but that is so boring. I
do have windows and a modest amount of natural light.

The Chinese believe that white color represents the absence of life,
death, mourning, ancestral spirits, ghosts from the land of the
dead. It’s also yang chi, and energy on the decline.

Yellow on the other hand is said to stimulate creativity, make
people happy, and increase attentiveness. However, if the color is
too strong it can increase anxiety. It is said to brighten
north-facing rooms.

Nancy

4

Cindy,

In any environment the colors you choose to surround yourself with
should be the colors your drawn to. In my home I keep the colors on
my walls to very pale tints or lighter pastel colors as the house is
old and has low ceilings. I’ve been an artist all my life and have
painted made pottery, soft sculpture dolls as well as my favorite
artistic endeavor Jewelry. I have a room in my house that I use as my
studio I’ve always kept the walls a neutral colors. I recently
painted the walls a very pale color called Swiss coffee and the new
floor tiles look like slate in coffee white and yellow ocher. But my
reason for keeping the colors toned down is that I prefer not to be
influenced or distracted by color when I’m working. So the question
be comes how do you relate or respond to colors. do they inspire you
to create? Will they influence your design in any way? will they
distract? Perhaps an option would be to have the walls a neutral
color and to then decorate with paintings prints and other changeable
art so if you change your mind about the colors that are there you
can put different art work on the walls. collages are great as they
have texture color and other interesting elements. Hope that helps.

Lisa Dawson
Stormville NY

5 
My question is this. What type of surroundings do you work best
in? What colors etc. fuel creativity? Any Feng Shui enthusiasts out
there?

Since this is the location for your business, Feng Shui would say
that you should paint it green, but definitely not red. (as in the
busines being in the red.)

Red is supposed to be a stimulating environment, light green
soothing. I would suggest a shade of green that appeals to you.

Elaine
http://www.CreativeTextureTools ™
Hard to FInd Tools for Metal Clay

6

I would advise against associating colour and creativity. The best
what can be done is to minimize colour interference.

There is a well accepted theory that Primates developed ability to
recognize colour approximately 70 million years ago. That
evolutionary development coincides with appearance of venomous snakes
and ability to recognize colours was necessary for the survival.
There is even an area in the brain that is hardwired to recognize
these patterns. The reaction to colour is anything but creativity.

As a point of interest, the roots of Human dexterity also stems from
the necessity to defend oneself against an attack by a snake.

So according to this theory, the best colour to enable one to
concentrate would be light-grey with slight bluish tinge.

Leonid Surpin

7

When I’m not making jewelry I’m building gaming computers. My
computer workshop walls are painted pink. My jewelry workshop walls
are “painted” dirty.

8

My Studio has one large window, the table I work off of is white and
the walls are a light lavender (sponge painted) over bright white.

I love my room, all the rows of gems or strands of wire and beads
are hung on the walls so I can see nearly everything I want to work
with. All my tools are at one of the table… we are talking a BIG
long long Table !

I actually have 2 rooms for my jewelry, one is the cold room (above)
for beading or wrapping, the other is the “hot” room, for melting
and glass work.

The “hot” room is much darker, it has one wall that is sponge
painted at least 7 different shades of color. The rest are forest
green. The ceiling has glow in the dark butterflies all over them
(thanks to my now 17 y/o daughter, cant bring myself to take them
down yet) and both rooms have a wall with just mirrors at eye level,
so I can hold up my designs and see if I am “on track”

I am really bad, I never measure, I never plan, I walk in and see
what is there and go at it. Some times it works, some times… lol
well those are all recyclable huh ?

I have been on this melting silver and using a cuddle bone to make
things lately, we will see if any of those make it to the web site !

Everyone have a great day !
Tina

9

Many years ago I had a studio in my home but I was not using it
enough. Just didn’t want to go in and work. I had a FengShui master
come over and do my whole house. When we came to the studio he said
to paint it red (Chinese Red) for creativity and put in a green
floor to ground the energy of the space…I painted it that week and
what a difference after that, I loved going to work! So…my vote is
for red if you can handle it.

Cheers,
Beth McElhiney
Martha’s Vineyard

10

Dude,

I have studied paleoanthropology for many years, and you are soooo
wrong that there is no point in presenting an opposing discourse.

As a point of interest, the roots of Human dexterity also stems
from the necessity to defend oneself against an attack by a snake.

That statement just makes me want to ask you please to put
“In my opinion” in front of your statements.

Hans Meevis

11

Hello,

My studio is literally a dungeon in the NW corner of the basement. I
share the space with the air handling unit and water heater, plus
lots of cluttered storage and kitty litter boxes. :slight_smile: No windows, so
the place is as black as a hole. I guess what I’m trying to say is
that once I sit at my bench, the surroundings are disregarded and the
light of creativity takes over. There are no distractions and time
has no meaning either.

Not pretty, but it serves.

Judy in Kansas, who has green beans and tomatoes coming on!! (mouth
watering in anticipation)

12

I suggest you look at a book called COLOROLOGY, it specifies what
color is best according to your birthday. A lot of interesting
coincidences have come up with myself and with my friends regarding
this book. Yes, the contents may be considered a bit on the
questionable side of the spectrum, but again, the coincidences are
enticing enough for me.

BBB
www.bellebrookedesigns.net

13

Cindy: I might sound like a total bore but I have found that a flat
white surface works best for me. Why? because the older I get the
more lighting is crucial and every little bit helps. If you can’t
live with that than use a subtle shade of what ever color you like
or try doing borders and art work to add interest. I don’t know your
age but for me I can say this didn’t become a noticable problem
untill mid 40’s. I do feel however that for the kind of close up work
jewelers do that anything to reduce eye strain is something to
strongly consider at any age.

Dave Owen

14

My color of creativity is blue. Calming, peaceful and wide open like
the sky and seas. It doesn’t matter if my work station is no larger
than a 20x20 spaced cube that I work in from 9-5 every day. It takes
on larger proportions when I’m working on a design. My question is,
is there really ever enough space for those who design? I don’t think
so, I believe we would need a warehouse all to ourselves and it
probably still wouldn’t be large enough.

Georgeanne Brutscher
www.taschastreasures.com

15

This is follow up. Here is the link to the article I was referring to

Leonid Surpin.

16

Paint your studio whatever color makes you happy. My studio is
painted a soft cantaloupe color. I love it. Clients comment on it &
want to know what color it is… It makes me happy on cold winter
days and blends in the summer.

hth
Carla

17 
the sky and seas. It doesn't matter if my work station is no
larger than a 20x20 spaced cube that I work in from 9-5 every day.
It takes

Wow, that’s huge. Whenever I think my workspace is small, I think of
the guy’s bench I saw in the bench exchange – his “bench” was jammed
in btw two walls, I don’t know if it was a closet or what, but it
makes my 60 square feet look like a palace.

Elaine
http://www.CreativeTextureTools.com
Hard to Find Tools for Metal Clay

18

There’s colour and intensity (solid colour versus a tone (add grey)
and tint (add white)). It has been said that lower-middle class can
feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable in a solid colour painting
scheme. Conversely those who are trying to attain highest social
status tend to start here.

A tint with maybe a solid colour might be a nice compromise, so as
to not overwhelm your senses and feel claustrophobic.

Red, blue, and yellow is one example of a primary colour wheel
(red+yellow==orange, red+blue==violet, blue+yellow==green for your
secondary colours), basically in the shape of a triangle. Opposites
on the colour wheel produce the greatest contrast, orange shirt and
green shorts for aquaman comes to mind, at the same time going tint,
tone and shade (making a colour sphere with adding white, grey or
black) also asks for balance.

Visual balance leads to complimentary colour scheme, high contrast
is another option you could opt for.

Red tends to make us hungry/agitated in Western Society, blue tend
to make us a little down/calm. A search of “red hunger blue sad green
feel color” or something similar will bring up a number of sites
covering this kind of topic.

Based solely on your query, and not going into a colour theory class
I would most likely recommend orange as primary with violet accents
(some say of orange can give feelings of joy and enabling creative
expression, and also helps one to become more extrovert and outward
in approach; whereas violet is said to be the most strongly artistic,
creative and spiritual of the colours, giving inspiration). I would
also recommend playing with tint/tone/shades of each to get the feel
you want. Mixing cheap gouache and putting them side by side (paint
splotch style) should help here and cost little by way of
investment.

I could see someone painting up to the hip in violet and then the
rest in orange, using green to balance and harmonize them in some
way. Or course these are three colours at opposite ends of the colour
wheel and hence have the highest contrast to one another, mixing
between tints/tones/shades in a pleasing combination will offer a way
to lessen to jarring nature this can cause.

Best of luck and hopefully this helps somewhat.

K. David Woolley
Fredericton, NB
Diversiform Metal Art & Jewellery