The Colour Blue and What it Means to You.
( Again, this audio is not a transcription of this writing but as a separate conversation to introduce this post)
Another mini-blog post this week, as Easter events and family staying during this time have meant writing has been difficult. However, I wanted to get something down on digital paper, as writing is a promise you keep not only to yourself but to your audience. So here we go into the subject of Blue and I have found it quite fascinating.
( A sky scene from a local walk often taken with my walking friend)
Nature lovers know the powerful effects of ‘ Green Therapy,’ examples include forest bathing, walking in the countryside and enjoying our environment. But what does the colour blue conjure up in your mind? Let’s take a brief pause and consider this. What would blue therapy mean to you and what other associations are there to it?
Firstly, I want to think of all the connections I know about this colour that immediately springs to mind without too much thinking.
The Blue Moon, Next due 31st May 2026
Blue Lagoon, A spa resort in Iceland famous for its thermal waters
The colour blue as a ribbon in a wedding garter ( symbolising love and fidelity)
Blue John, is the gemstone found in Blue John Mines in Derbyshire. This is now rare and valuable.
Blue skies and seas
Baby boys and blue
Water sports
Blue Blood- deoxygenated blood returning to the lungs.
Blue light from screens which hinders our sleep
Idiom: Out of the blue- unexpected occurence
Talking until you are blue in the face- talking when someone is frustrating you, as they are not taking any notice of what you are saying.
Feeling Blue
Blue Monday- usually the third January after Christmas when people’s bills are arriving and New Year’s Resolutions are dying. This is a most depressing time.
Another pause in my words to think about, from the last one on my list. When you imagine blue, is this a positive colour or one where you associate it with ‘feeling down,’ of cold hands and lips, of winter weather?
Doing a little research, I have discovered that whole books have been written about the colour blue and how diverse it is with many connotations, symbolism and meanings, symbolically, spiritually and practically.
Pondering about blue, I realise this post could open up discussions about other colours and how they affect our mood. What colours are we most drawn to and why? I love the colour purple but am often drawn to wear blue for work because it feels professional and tidy. There is a certain efficiency about blue. It feels neat, smart and orderly and can often be a colour choice for interviews or important speaking events.
As a healing colour, it is not surprising it’s used for images within the medical field and NHS. Blue feels very calming and peaceful to me. The healing and positive well-being effects of blue are documented.
“There’s a reason we think of blue as relaxing; it tends to lower our heart rates, blood pressure, and even our body temperature. Blue can have an effect on the pituitary gland, affecting our sleep patterns, and it can slow our breathing as well. Studies of memory have demonstrated that memory is enhanced by blue light, and blue light can even kill some bacteria!”
Katie Smith @ sensationalcolour.com.
Many of my photos are of skies landscapes and water. It contrasts well with green, yellow and blends with lilac and other pastel and light shades. If I was a painter, I would see blue as one of my favourite colours.
( The Abbey Ruins at Walsingham, Norfolk)
Blue is also seen as very spiritual. We think of Mary the mother of Jesus in a blue robe and blue is associated with the heavens, a gateway to us and God. The colour blue is found in the Old Testament where the tassals of the Israelites were blue to remind them of the Lords Commandments.
( My friend Jean’s garden in the spring who many of my local friends. Her garden is a riot of blue this time of year)
Then we can think of all the blue in Nature. I love blue flowers in the spring, the tiny forget-me-knots and the beautiful bluebells in May. As someone who loves the weather and looks at the sky daily ( I’m writing a mini weather journal over one year) I realise blue is a very positive colour in my life.
Here is a good article about the meaning of blue and what it represents. There is so much fascinating information to read here.
( Water reflections Gooderstone Water Gardens, Near Oxborough, Norfolk)
So blue is a very rich colour and should not be seen as cold and mainly limited to water or skies. If you glance, as I have just done, at the History and other associations of blue, you begin to see it has a lot of surprises. I wanted to do a more detailed study of this colour and appreciate I have just skimmed the surface of this topic. However, this is an introduction for you to reflect upon, and how blue might feel for you.
References:
Wedding garter https://thebridaltip.com/blue-garter-for-wedding/
Blue Moon https://www.space.com/15455-blue-moon.html
Blue Lagoon https://www.bluelagoon.com/
Blue John https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_John_(mineral)
The religious connection with blue https://artuk.org/discover/stories/the-power-of-blue-humanity-spirituality-and-divinity
Until next week where we will start a new mini series of seven posts. Have a good rest of the week everyone.
