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A Touch of Pink Is Complicated

Writer's picture: Celeste WilsonCeleste Wilson

Color plays a very big part in my life. I love all color, but there are a few that evoke more emotions than others.


Pink is Healing

I recently read a very interesting article in Very Well Mind about the psychology of pink. I always associated it with beauty, florals, and girly toys, but it’s a far more complex color.

We typically consider pink as a calming color. Emotions associated with pink are grace, love, kindness, nurturing and romance.

Color psychology understands that different colors can affect our mood and behaviors. So, it’s not surprising to me that pink is used in trauma therapy.


It’s a Positive Color

When someone accuses me of looking at the world with rose tinted glasses, it’s probably meant as an insult. I could take it as one but I can flip the script and choose to see positivity.

It’s obviously a bit of a slippery slope because we could all use a dash of daily reality.

My point is that pink is generally a color linked to positivity. Think of breast cancer awareness. They chose a pink ribbon to represent their fight against the disease.

“Pink isn’t just a color. It’s an attitude too.” — Miley Cyrus


Avoid Color Saturation

I believe that life is full of extremes and to find balance we need to moderate life’s experiences. Color saturation is no exception.

A good example of this is the use of pink drunk tanks in prisons. Since pink is a calming color, some prisons have painted a cell wall pink. They then put very aggressive prisoners in this cell to calm them down.

It was effective to calm the inmate, but it only lasted about 15 minutes. The saturation of color was too much, and the inmate would often become agitated again.


Can Pink Be a Symbol of Weakness?

Some sneaky sports teams have painted visiting team locker room walls pink. It’s an attempt at calming the opposing team down so much that they perform poorly in their game.

Based on the pink drunk tank idea, they may have faced a different team on the field.

I don’t see pink as a weak color. I see it as a serene power color that can fire up my creativity while it offers me a relaxed mind. Maybe pink is a shapeshifter.


Pink Has Traditional Significance in Many Cultures and Religions

Korea — pink represents trust and faith.

Catholic Traditions — in Catholicism pink is associated with joy.

Japan — pink is considered a unisex color. I think the West is catching on though.

India — it represents happiness.

China — since it is considered a shade of red, it shares the symbolism of red. The colors represent good fortune, purity, joy and is a lucky color.


Fun Facts About Pink

·In early European fashion, pink was the color that boys wore, and blue was associated with girls. Pink was considered a close cousin to red which was considered a strong color and therefore masculine. The image of these two colors changed with women started associated pink with childbirth.

We all know the terms white-collar and blue-collar workers. Well, there were pink-collar workers too. These were jobs traditionally held by women like nurses, secretaries, or switchboard operators. This is an outdated gender related term since many jobs are now held by both genders, but I did still find the term in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.


Shading Pink

One of my college teachers, Mrs. Norman, once said that anyone can wear any color. It’s the shade that matters.

When I think of pink I tend to think of a pastel shade. It matches my personality. I avoid high emotional situations and anything overly stimulating.

I have friends who would rather pull their own teeth than wear pastel pink. They’ll wear cerise or hot pink though. They enjoy the high energy and dramatic effect.

I could never wear hot pink. I’d feel too exposed but then their personalities are more vibrant than mine.

Mrs. Norman was right. You can’t judge a color by color alone. It’s the shade that matters. It’s like saying that you can’t judge a book by its cover, I guess.


What is Your Pink Personality?

Pink can be exciting and optimistic.

It stimulates creativity while it soothes the mind.

It is shy, yet powerful.

It’s a cousin to red. Romantic and loving.

It’s caring and nurturing.

I think my personality is optimistic, creative, and loving pastel pink or at least that is what I’m striving for.

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