Sunday, January 23, 2005

Howard's Colour Forecast

Howard has been getting a lot of attention recently for his unique views about colours. I've known that he's a big lecturer but I couldn't believe it when I saw him on channel H last night! I caught it after it had already started, but I managed to get down some of the interview. Howard was speaking:

Howard:
"Very well-to-do with-it people, the Winslets the Trumps etc, the kind that may not walk down the red carpet themselves but know very well there's a reason for its particular color have seen what I'm talking about. We often neglect the significance of how our own bodies absorb photons and the balance of wavelength that it requires to really hone in on our colour instinct."

Interviewer:
"Well, I was about to ask you, since you're the author of A Whole Range of Colours, From White to Black what you would say to the average person who wants to get a better feel for colours. Do people have colours that fit them more then other colours?"

Howard:
"If I didn't think so, you would not see this man in front of you. No sir, I am your proof that colours aren't something to be chosen improperly. But also what has to be figured out, is how you can fit your colour. Each colour has its own purpose, and only when we listen to the messages in the colours that our environment sends us, will we have colour harmony with the environment. In terms of your question about getting a feel, that is the word kids are saying today is it? Well, yes, a 'getting a feel' for colours is precisely that. Some people just shouldn't be left alone in a purple room, and for others, it could be the best thing for them. What you need to do is internally verbalize your colour dialogue, and then you make better choices about what colours to see, and how to see the ones that afterall, you're just simply forced to see day-in and day-out. I mean, what can you do if your office is topaz? Someone else painted it. You learn to like topaz and there are many techniques."

Interviewer:
"What are the techniques?"

Howard:"I cannot go into detail about them now, but they are outlined in my book."

Interviewer:
"Ok, then I'm sure I'll get to it soon. I guess what everyone really wants to know is how we should choose colour?"

Howard:"Well, you don't limit your colours ever. That would be a rock-headed mistake. It's more a matter of WHEN. WHEN can you engage WHICH colours? That is the question. But I will tell you what I think of some colours, because this will hopefully wake up your own sense. Red says something. It's not angre and it's not fury, -people often exaggerate the power of red, and this is intolerable enough, but as well, they don't understand its potency. Red is a very concentrating colour. You look at it and there is a connection. That's all it is. Red is a very fierce colour."

Interviewer:
"Well, red IS the colour of blood. It's primal, war-like. Could that be how it is?"

Howard:"No. Actually it has to do with a more scientific reason then that. It is not related to some namby-pampy nonsense notions about an association to the things that are red, because redness itself is something else. Ok, you are wearing periwinkle right? Well, that tells me you didn't just wake up empty-headed this morning. Periwinkle is a very determined colour. I can tell you had this interview planned. You knew that you were going to do it. So on some level, your instinct broke through with its power of colours. You see? They haven't proven all this yet but you know why I know it? Because. I. AM. In. Touch. Unless you become very familiar with colours you cannot really understand the essence of them or not confuse them often with their appearances. You will though. But first you must believe."

Interviewer:"Hmm, yeah. I hope so. You do have a point. I did know about this interview ahead of time, but does that mean I chose this colour because of it? I was assigned to wear this shirt because it suited the lighting on camera. I didn't choose it."

Howard:"Well, your crew did."

Interviewer:"And do you mean that when you see orange it's not necessarily orange? It could be another colour that was supposed to be orange but someone failed to choose orange and made it green instead? It sounds complicated. What you're saying? Should we really take colour very seriously? If it's out there, why do you have to understand the 'essence'?"

Howard:"Well, there are many oranges, and most people have seen a hand-full of them, but most people haven't found the time to pick an orange that they really liked, or they're desensitized to it. How can they be happy unless they were satisfied with the colours around them? There are some people who have a taking to orange and they often go on to become crossing-guards because they gravitate towards the orange uniforms. I know a chap who has a re-painted wheel of fortune that he meditates to as the colours spin in his field of vision. For him, he needs many colours at a time, swirling. (He was a gambling addict before that and it works as therapy). He can somehow type reports while watching them. However, for most, colour is not something they go out of their way to find or bond with. We don't even do colouring books anymore. It's hard to think of orange and not be distracted, so often after a certain age many people just don't bother. They turn a blind eye to orange."

Interviewer:
"That's sad"

Howard:"It can be"

Interviewer:
"Yes, well..."

Howard:
"Well, do you have any more questions?"

Interviewer:
"How about you just give us a few tips before we wrap this up?"

Howard:"Very well. My mission really is just a very fine-tuned way of doing whatever you want. If you are anarchic you will never settle down to one colour. If you are devilish, you will always crave red, if you are serene but lazy, you will find yourself with blue. Green is a very dangerous colour to get involved with because it means that you will be going non-stop. Yellow is an unlikely but lucky colour to have in emergencies. So what I want everyone to do is become more comfortable addressing your colour needs and acting on them quickly. Colour is not something to waste. Because colours are a manufacturing concern, they are always coming up with new dyes and ways of changing the colour in sync with our colour rhythums. This year there will be a lot of skepticism around the colour mauve, but it should be cleared up by late June, just in time for summer, and a rebirth of light green in Western consciousness."

Interviewer:"Alright, I'll be sure to look forward to that. Well thank you Mr.Wayword for taking the time to come in here today."

Howard:
"It was my pleasure. "

Interviewer:
"Goodbye"

Howard:
"Bye now"

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Filed under Howard Wayword

3 Comments:

Blogger Lioness said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

8:14 a.m.  
Blogger DW and Sarah said...

That's what I was thinking- this guy should be on a decorating show.

9:17 p.m.  
Blogger SavtaDotty said...

I was just trying to decide whether my mood was black or white and now Howard is making me all confused. Pshaw! (How do you pronounce that anyhow?)

2:48 a.m.  

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