“A Color A Week” started simply as a way to organize all the ideas and images I wanted to share on my new Growing More Beautiful Facebook page. Focusing on a new hue each week has turned out to be a surprisingly supportive and nurturing practice. Like praising God for the religious, or mindful meditation for the spiritually inclined, it never fails to shift my mood to a more positive one.

Regal purple seemed the obvious choice to get the ball rolling, and the following week I moved on to pink. Watching for bright, girlish pink images to photograph was such fun! One morning as I strolled the beach a bride and groom appeared and I boldly asked to take their picture so I could share the delightful pink-ness of it. Friends starting sending photos of their pink pedicures so I had mine painted raspberry too. My birthday arrived during Pink Week and my happy mood set the stage for a joyful day.

After my birthday celebration I had to begin the onerous task of locating a new place to live as our lease would soon be up. I knew that finding a rental that would take two dogs and didn’t require a long commitment would be difficult. I almost didn’t look at an advertised mother-in-law unit because it seemed impossibly small and crowded, but it was near a nice beach and I figured I could go swimming afterward.

Aquamarine was the color that week. The dazzling hue of the ocean that surrounds Hawaii, it has always been the siren song luring me back to the Islands for vacations. Every time I catch a glimpse of it I am uplifted. A reflection of my green-blue eyes, it strongly resonates with spirit. It turns out this new place is going to work out fine for us and we will be living a half block from one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I know it was my connection to the color aquamarine that drew me there. Just as pink helped me feel festive on my birthday instead of sad about being so far away from loved ones, I believe we long for the color that will most support us in the moment.

In the chapter Planning Your Wardrobe – Getting More of What You Want in Your Life, I write: “More. You want more. Let the power of your intention weave its way into your everyday decisions.” Focusing on a color allows you take a subtle but powerful approach to creating what you need “more” of.

Purple, pink and aqua are all colors I love to wear, but my attraction to green as my next weekly choice was not as obvious given not a trace of it can be found in my palette. Yet once I started to focus on it I felt it embracing me. Brilliant green is the backdrop for every scene on the windward part of the island. During Green Week I feel enfolded in its life giving splendor, as if it had been waiting for me to notice it so it could help me feel more at home. Now I can feel it breathing all around me, nourished by sun and water, bursting with new growth, the generous tree branches shading us from the burning sun.

Up until now, most of my relationship with green has been analytical. What hue will make my clients complexion glow without looking sallow? What is the color underneath the green so I can tone my canvas?. I rarely use green paint or chalk, preferring to mix or layer a more complex shade from various yellows and blues, often with a touch of red for richness. When I look closely I see orange under the palms, purple in the distant mountains, dusty terra cotta in the bark of the ironwoods, deep blue for the shadows on the underside of leaves. After a week of studying the nuances of green I let go, breathing with the foliage, and letting the hue variations hum before my eyes like notes in a symphony.

What started out as a playful way to connect with friends on Facebook has turned into something powerful. While never at a loss for creative inspiration, what I enjoy about this practice is that isn’t demanding. I don’t have to carve out time for it, or sit down and do anything with it. Just look, notice, respond. Of course I could just leave it at that but my busy mind is already working on ways to share it; an iPhone calendar app perhaps?

You can follow along with me week by week, or engage with colors in your own rhythm, focusing on what you are drawn to and going deeper with it. As one of my long time clients Baunnie commented:

“It’s so cool how some colors emerge and call for attention/submersion/adoration. They grab hold of me. And then I am released to a new devotion.”

Where is a new color going to take me next week? Yellow is calling, but so is silver. I’m excited to find out.

jewelry: luciaantonelli.com