National Color Day focuses on the affect color has on each of us. The observance takes place each year on October 22. Color is powerful. It can affect a mood, draw attention, even cause alarm.

It is hard to imagine the world without color. Without color, we would nearly be blind. Doctors check for health through the color of a patient’s skin. On a late, crisp autumn morning, sparkling frost and leaves changing from green to vermillion signal a change of seasons. A flush of color in the cheeks of a friend sends a cue of her embarrassment. The street light turns from green to yellow to red. In the Grand Canyon, layers of sediment range in color from black to pale ash. All these signs alert us to change through color.

Imagine a world without chrysocolla. This mineral formed from hydrated copper phyllosilicate develops colors from a brilliant cyan to jade green. From darkening skies before a storm to the undulating fragile glow of the aurora borealis, color in nature moves us to pause and enjoy or to warn us of impending danger. Long before colors had names, they served a purpose.

Colors accent our homes and feed our creativity, allowing us to express ourselves. Open a box of crayons or watercolors, and artists of any age lose themselves in a world of their own creation for hours.

Different colors are perceived to mean different things. The following is one rendition of the perceived meaning of the various colors in the United States.

Red : Excitement – Love – Strength

Yellow : Competence – Happiness

Green : Good Taste – Envy – Relaxation

Blue : Corporate – High Quality

Pink : Sophistication – Sincerity

Violet/Purple : Authority – Power

Brown : Ruggedness

Black: Grief – Fear

White : Happiness – Purity.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalColorDay

Explore the use of color in your life. Take in the vast and ever-changing array of shades available to you. What’s your favorite color? Express yourself through color and use #NationalColorDay to post on social media.