Journal Prompts #13: On Adding Color
Journey to Joy: How to Use Color to Shift When You Are Stuck
Today is a guest share from coach, consultant and mother, Jen Fowler. I had digitally known Jen for years on years as she worked closely with my mentor, Susanne Conrad as a lead coach at Lightyear Leadership. We finally crossed paths in real time and have taken turns coaching one another this year honing our voices and offerings - it seems we both had emotional and identity growth spurt over the past two-ish years. I love Jen’s focus on mid-life coaching and what happens in the throes of transition of middle age and questioning how we re-define it beyond the narrative of crisis society bestows upon us. Take some time with her journal prompts about disrupting your status quo within a crayon box.
Stay open and surprise yourself with your answers in your journal.
As always, so optional.
From Jen Fowler:
Maize.
Cerulean.
Burnt Sienna.
Fuchsia.
Marigold.
Did a smile just form on your face as you read those colors? If you're anything like me, these names take you back to the days of school supply shopping. My absolute favorite item was that jumbo box of CRAYOLA crayons. What intrigued me wasn't merely that there was a yellow crayon—it was that this yellow was specifically MARIGOLD. Pink wasn’t just any pink; it was FUCHSIA. The sheer variety of colors fascinated me then, and it still does now.
Since I was a little kid, I've been captivated by color. From using every crayon in the box to arranging my bookshelf in a ROYGBIV* sequence, my love for color has always been a cornerstone of my personality. This spring though, as the new color sprouted up around me, I felt off. I was missing my childlike wonder. I just felt dull, and I had a zillion excuses to justify my chosen dullness. I had kids, I was busy, I didn’t have enough time, money, or energy. Life felt monochromatic.
Life is meant to be filled and lived with the full spectrum of colors. We're all designed to experience the love, passion, and soulful connections associated with RED and MAROON; the enthusiasm, curiosity, and emotion of ORANGE and CORAL; the happiness, joy, and positivity of YELLOW and MARIGOLD; the prosperity and abundance of GREEN and TEAL; the calm and self-trust of BLUE and COBALT; the integrity, intuition, and structure of INDIGO and CERULEAN; and the spirituality, wisdom, and femininity of VIOLET and LAVENDER.
So when I found myself feeling stuck at the beginning of this summer, I set a goal to add more color in my life literally and metaphorically. I started a new workout routine at a new gym in spite of the fact that I was terrified I’d be the only person NOT in a crop top sports bra or the oldest person there (I wasn’t by a long shot). I wore a midriff revealing bright blue sports bra to said workout class (I know, I’m one of them now). I signed up for an abstract art class with a dear friend (despite having what thought was 0 artistic talent — NEWSFLASH — EVERYONE is an artist) and was introduced to color mixing and values.
I went on new adventures with my kids and intentionally bought a bright red dress for my cousin’s wedding. I took the scenic route on trips. I ate a rainbow of fruit in my yogurt bowl in the morning (ps: mangos are the most amazing fruit on the planet). I bought a new set of fancy markers, walked in nature and noticed the colors, and took myself on a solo date to a local art museum. I made multiple vision boards, hung a piece of my artwork in my house and kayaked the Chicago River into Lake Michigan to watch the fireworks over the city.
What I learned in my SUMMER COLOR ERA was transformative. Adding color reinvigorated my sense of wonder, creativity, and emotional richness that I had been missing. It was like I had been looking at life through a grayscale filter. Intentionally, focusing on adding color gave me space to see with a new perspective.
I was back!
Often, we overlook the more vibrant shades of our life's color wheel. We sideline our sense of adventure for routine and responsibilities, losing our sense of mirth, curiosity and wonder. We get stuck in our ways. Life is more fun in color! Adding more color to your life brightens your mood, lifts your spirit, and even boosts your energy.
Grab your pen:
In which area of your life do you feel like you're missing some color? Is it in your Health, Purpose, Relationships, Finances or Well-being?
What specific action can you take to reintroduce this missing color into your chosen domain?
Here’s a list of ideas to get you started on adding more COLOR to your life
Wardrobe Refresh: Add a splash of color to your outfits. Pick some statement earrings, pull your grandmother's scarf from hiding and wear it, rock some vibrant red shoes.
Doodle and Draw: Just like our childhood, pick up a coloring book or some blank paper and let your creativity flow. Get yourself some crayons (I recommend the Crayon 64 box), markers or colored pencils and have fun!
Get Outside: Take a walk. Take a new route in your neighborhood, find a new trail at your local park, explore your own city. Put your devices and earbuds down and see all the colors in a new way.
Write a Love Note: Write a love note to yourself or someone you love - tell them one thing specifically you love and appreciate about them
Shift Your Space: Find a new coffee shop and work there for a day
Check It Out: Head to your local library and check out a book - my secret is the cookbook section. Check out all the ones you're curious about!
Back to the Future: Write a vision for what you see for the future. Take yourself to your successful future and write about it. What are you saying then, what are you doing? Who is around you? What do you see, smell, taste and hear?
Spontaneous Date Night: Choose a color theme for a date night and make all activities revolve around it.
Investment Board: Create a vision board with colorful images representing your financial goals.
Journaling: Use different colored pens for different kinds of entries.
Wheel of Color: Pick a color from the color wheel; google it’s meaning and journal on it
Cook with Color: Add more color to your cooking; see if you can make a meal with all the colors of the rainbow in it. And, when in doubt; definitely add sprouts to top any meal.
Blooming: Go to your local garden store and build a planter with a variety of seasonal colors
Skill-Building: Pick up a colorful hobby that aligns with your sense of purpose, like painting or knitting.
Family Game Night: Make it a colorful affair with a range of board games.
Change of Scenery: Take a different route the next time you drive to the grocery or on a regular errand
Sacred Object: Find a sacred object in a color you love like a crystal and keep it beside your bedside or your desk where you work.
***** ROYGBIV is an acronym for the sequence of hues commonly described as making up a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Gratitude and appreciation: A thoughtful thank you to Jen for taking the time to share her colorful approach with us in the form of story and journal. I love portals to optimism and the crayola box is a portal, folks. With Fall arriving today and Winter approaching, I will be adding all the color a la Jen Fowler’s nod to mirth, wonder and curiosity.
Jen Fowler is a leader, coach, wife, mom to two teenage boys, and a masterful question asker. Jen’s the founder of Jen Fowler Coaching + Consulting, a coaching business centered supporting women in the messy middle of their lives to drop perfection, embrace courage and live more deeply connected to their wisdom, joy, and purpose.
Jen aims to make an impact in every conversation, connection, and relationship. She’s a powerful communicator and gives you real-life practical tools to support your most important relationships. She asks questions with power, listens in a heartfelt, open way, and leads people to feel seen and heard. She sees the best in people and believes in the power of community, and she does it in a real, down-to-earth, and mirthful way.
Jen lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her family and doodle dog Ruby. She loves the sidelines of her boy's soccer games, a sweaty workout, and believes pizza is life’s great joy.