Feeling blue towards Creativity
What does the colour blue mean to you? Do you think of the open sky and how it represents freedom? Or do you visualize the deep blue sea and feel its peace and tranquility? Would you believe that blue can cause feelings of creativity? According to Rui Zhu and her colleague Ravi Mehta from the University of British Columbia blue can prompt creativity. This is the result of the innate feelings that we have for each colour. For example, blue creates a secure and welcoming environment thereby paving the way for greater imagination.
Need to be More Creative at work? Try these ideas:
-Change your screensaver colour to blue. One of Zhu’s studies had subjects use 20 toy parts, painted either red or blue, put together a children’s toy. Judges found that those using blue parts developed more innovative products than those using red parts.
-The next time you are refilling your printer paper tray reach for the blue paper as the calming sensation associated with this colour may fuel creativity. Zhu believes these “subconscious associations” are linked to our life experiences. If a blue sky can create a safe environment, putting people into a more explorative mindset then why wouldn’t colour paper promote the same effect?
-Incorporate blue into the colour scheme of your office or brainstorming area. Most of Zhu’s subjects, about 75%, believed that blue would not only increase their creativity but also attention to detail. Although Zhu’s studies found that red was responsible for the latter, she says that people believe that blue helps regardless of the task.
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