5 Reasons To Paint Your Walls Yellow
I may very well be crazy, but I think the color yellow is cheerful and uplifting to the spirit. I have read that the color yellow can increase mental activity, energy, and awareness. I have appreciated this color in my own classroom; the walls are painted a very light yellow. I find it soothing and joyful at the same time.
I have heard some argue that yellow creates agitation, anger, and even lunacy. I blame this mostly on the story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I love this story because of all the symbolism, metaphors and themes present in the reading. Unfortunately, many people think that because the wallpaper was yellow, that was why the protagonist, a young wife with an unnamed illness, slowly goes crazy during the course of the story.
I would like to just point out that yellow has many moods. All you have to do is pay attention to your own emotional response to the color. I find it difficult to believe yellow could produce anger. Try this exercise: Listen to some angry-sounding music. What colors are you imagining? I tried this experiment and I came up with reds and oranges.
I do think that the darker, brighter yellows can be more likely to agitate. Yellow is the most eye-catching color in the rainbow. Why do you think caution signs and crime scene tape is yellow? It can bring on a sense of agitation for the sake of caution. But the softer side of yellow has many wonderful emotional connections.
1. It promotes warmth.
A soft to medium shade of yellow doesn’t induce feelings of anger, but of warmth. Think of sunshine on your face on a spring day.
“I really just want to be warm yellow light that pours over everyone I love.” ~ Conor Oberst
2. It promotes creativity.
I teach creative writing and English. Creativity is a big part of my life as an author. Is it any surprise that my favorite work areas are painted a light, soft yellow?
“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” ~ Pablo Picasso
3. It stands for light.
Well, that seems obvious. When you see a painting, what color are the stars?? When a toddler creates his first crayon artwork, what color does he make the sun?
“How lovely yellow is! It stands for the sun.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh
4. It builds emotional strength.
Feeling down in the dumps? Have some dark days? Don’t lock yourself in a shadowy room. Find somewhere yellow. Yellow helps to promote joy and positivity.
“It is the color closest to light. In its utmost purity it always implies the nature of brightness and has a cheerful, serene, gently stimulating character. Hence, experience teaches us that yellow makes a thoroughly warm and comforting impression.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
5. It promotes spirituality.
Nothing can touch the soul like warmth from the color yellow. This spring, as winter seemed to be dragging on, I found myself purchasing several new season items that were yellow. This was commented on by a friend. I smiled. You can’t outdo yellow in warmth. But there is a mysterious quality that tames our inner demons.
“Yellow is capable of charming God.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh
Let’s stop hating on yellow. Find the shade that works wonders for your soul and paint your walls with sunshine. If you aren’t that bold, then buy a yellow sweater and wear it every day this winter. Yellow is mystical, luminous, joyful, and warm. Why not embrace it?
Want to read “The Yellow Wallpaper” and decide for yourself? Click here for free access.
