The Color Purple

SHOW DESCRIPTION

This chat is all about celebrating your uniqueness and expressing your true self. We’re talking about the word “color,” and how colors can reveal who we are. We'll explore the cultural meanings and emotional impacts of colors. Join me in reflecting on your own “color” and what it might say about you. Don't forget to meditate on today's insights and share your thoughts on our fan page at Fanlist.com/CoffeeCocktailsClarity! 

TL;DR

This episode delves into the concept of personal colors as metaphors for individual traits and self-expression.

Time Stamps 

00:00 The Power of Color in Our Lives

00:48 Discovering My Favorite Color

02:10 Introducing Coffee, Cocktails, and Clarity

03:23 The Significance of Black in My Wardrobe

05:27 Embracing Purple: A Journey of Self-Discovery

07:21 The Significance of Purple in Culture

08:23 Personal Reflections on Being Seen and Heard

10:59 Embracing Personal Colors

11:37 Exploring Your Own Colors

12:25 Expressing Your True Colors

13:54 Final Thoughts and Farewell

RESOURCES

Note: I do not have any affiliations with, sponsorships or endorsements from any of the resources mentioned. They are listed for your reference.

Color Psychology

·         Color Psychology: https://www.colorpsychology.org

·         Very Well Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824

CONNECT WITH ME

Join my fan page at FanList.com/CoffeeCocktailsClarity and share your thoughts on this episode, ask questions, or share your story. 

Shai Boston on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shaiboston/

Shai Boston on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@shaiboston

Shai Boston on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaiBostonLLC

Credits

Editor: Payton Cross

Transcript

Shai Boston: 0:00

Who can forget those infamous words of Shelby in Steel Magnolias. She had a signature color and had her wedding in"Blush and Bashful." Just two different shades of pink. I know others who have a signature or a favorite color as well. Like red. Red is my mother and my sister-in-law's favorite color. They look really good in it as well. I look at the color red and I see vibrancy. It's a color I find that commands attention. It must be seen and it's classy, elegant, powerful. Red I think is the perfect color for my mom and my sister-in-law because they're all of those things. And as I've gotten more into Korean culture, they use the word"color" as a way of describing their personality or a facet of themselves. Musicians and actors often say,"I can't wait to show my fans a different color of me." I'm currently reading Kerry Washington's book, Thicker Than Water. She mentions that her mother asked her what color she wanted to paint her bedroom walls. And she told her mother that she didn't know because she didn't have a favorite color. That resonated with me. For years, I struggled with having a favorite color. I went from red to white to black. And black stuck the longest. Then, several years back, my sister-in-law called me. Shai! I think my brother is lying to me and he just doesn't know." I'm like,"Know what?" She says,"Your favorite color." And then I had to laugh and I just said,"I don't have one.""Well, that's what he said." And I said,"Well, he didn't lie." And then that got me to thinking... do I have a favorite color? That started me down a path that would lead to some self discovery. And the realization that I do have a favorite color. My favorite color is the color purple.

2:13

Hi ladies, I'm Shai, and I'm so excited to welcome you to Coffee, Cocktails, and Clarity. As a woman navigating my own journey, I've experienced the ups and downs, the triumphs and challenges that come with being a woman in today's world. I created this podcast as a space for us to have authentic conversations and connections to share stories and inspire each other. Let's break down barriers, celebrate our successes and support one another on this journey together. So, take a sip, sit back and let's have a chat.

Shai Boston: 2:54

That's why I am sipping today out of the Purple One's glass water bottle. It is actually from, uh, Paisley Park itself, purple of course, which is one reason why I love Prince. I'm drinking water because I really wanted something that was light and refreshing to drink while we're doing the podcast together. I hope you have something that is light and refreshing that reflects who you are... So let's get into it. For years I struggled with that question when asked,"What is your favorite color?" I was stuck and I had no clue. Usually, I wore a lot of black with a red lippy on occasion. And that was mainly because black was perfect: it covered and concealed the parts of me I wasn't so happy about, black literally goes with everything except the wrong shade of black.. black on black tones must match! That's not just my OCD. That's like a black fashion rule! And black just spoke to me, and it still does. I'm wearing black today with some purple accents, including a purple lippy. But for many of my therapy sessions I would wear black hoodies. Then one day I came in a white t-shirt with some bright, colorful graphic designs. It was from the Toni! Tony! Tone! Tour. And my therapist commented that she was surprised I wasn't wearing black and she was so happy about that. And I had to tell her, look here, honey, don't read too much into me wearing black hoodies. They were all hoodies that I got from a concert, or I got made for a K-pop concert that I was going to and because they were usually in the winter time, I wore hoodies. And because I wanted the images to pop I wore a black hoodie. She laughed, I laughed. But I think she got the point don't judge me just because I'm wearing black. But the reality is that black really was my go-to color, especially when I was trying to hide my body and sometimes when I was trying to flatter it, because I do have some cute outfits that are all black and look amazing on me. I would wear black when I was depressed or sometimes I will wear black just when I didn't know what else to wear black almost always looks good. Yet, I know the truth now. After years of trying to find my color, someone else actually found it for me. I was having this very discussion with a friend of mine and asked her what her favorite color was. After telling me, she asked me mine. I said I didn't have one really... and she looked at me rather incredulously like,"Hmm, yes you do. It's purple." That started me down the road of analyzing a lot of things, like my nail colors, my lip colors, the color that I gravitated to for my notebooks and pens. All different things like that. I actually went all the way back to my wedding over 20 years ago. That's when I realized that purple had been the subtle yet ever present color in my life. My wedding colors we're shades of purple and gold. One of my favorite movies and books is The Color Purple. I dove into a little bit about color theory to see why I may have been drawn to the color purple. According to multiple sources, the color purple has a number of meanings. And they all spoke to me. Purple utilizes the powerful energy and fiery passion of the color red and combines it with the calming nature of the color blue. That creates a color that is often seen as tranquil. In many cultures, it is considered a regal color, the color purple, and it's also one that speaks to wealth. Now granted cultural influences, spiritual influences, things like that may determine exactly what the color purple is used for. Sometimes in some cultures, the color purple is used for mourning. And at other times it is only worn by royalty. But thinking back to how the color purple was tied to wealth. That's because historically the dyes or other resources needed to create the color purple were very expensive. And why was that? It's because the color purple itself is a naturally rare color. It is not widely found in nature. We may see lavender, African violets that are purple, even lilacs and maybe a few other flowers or even animals that may have shades of purple, like a peacock. But purple is rarely seen. It reminds me of a line from The Color Purple where Shug Avery states,"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." And that's how I felt all my life. I always felt like I was trying to be seen and heard for who I was and not for what others wanted me to be. I tried any number of things: being a good student, well that worked until I wasn't. And that again is another subject for a future podcast. I love to dance and took dance classes in school. People noticed me when I performed. Then I was back into obscurity, at least in my mind. I wanted to be liked and loved... and that was a personal struggle and self-perception that I had for many, many years. I was often picked on and bullied in school, even through high school. I would struggle to find words to express myself. That's why I read dictionaries and encyclopedias, not just for the knowledge... but also for the words, which I did eventually find ways to use to defend myself when I realized I could talk rings around most people, especially using words that they had no clue the meaning of. Even in my career I always struggled to be seen and heard. Purple is also associated with wisdom, creativity, emotionality, femininity, royalty, as I said, spirituality and independence. All of those words, all of them, were and are me. I was constantly seeking wisdom and wanted to share wisdom, I was very emotional, sometimes I still am. I definitely identify with being feminine. I've always thought I was part of some Royal line. I am pretty sure I was a queen in this life, a past life, a near life, somewhere, and I am a spiritual being and very independent. My husband once described me as passionate. So there's part of that color red in the purple. My friends and colleagues describe me as someone warm to be around, often times calming in the most chaotic of situations. So that was that blue. That got me the best of both worlds combined to make my color and my color is purple. As I thought about my color, I realized that it speaks to me on multiple levels. So enough about me. What does all of this after do with you? What is your color? Or colors? Are you Red, feeling powerful, passionate, and stand out commanding attention. Maybe you're blue when it comes to your personal life: you're chill, calm and easy to be around. If you like things to be in harmony with each other, having a sense of stability and peace in your world, you might be green. And, if you don't know your color, think for a moment what speaks to you? What aspects of YOU do you love most? Are you funny? Kind? Compassionate? Do you like to blend in, stand out, or it just depends on the situation? Are you just now on the journey to discover more about who you really are and your color? Then embrace the journey. Open your eyes to the world of color and how they make you feel. Read up on color theory. I'll have some resources that are in my show notes. And learn more about what clicks with you. Then express yourself, however you see fit. Use a variety of colors to do so you don't have to stick to just one. For a presentation you may rock a power blue or captivating black pants suit with a pop of red color sending the message that you're serious about what you're talking about but you're also going to command the room. Perhaps you are wanting to showcase your fun and cheerful side, so you might wear yellow or pink or orange. Whatever your overall color is or your color choice for the moment, the point is to reflect the real you. Showing your"color" is about letting others see who you really are in all your facets. We all have multiple colors, and we wear that at different times for different reasons. And they can all compliment our primary color, which is who you are at your core. Going forward, we are going to look at our color and we're going to show it off to the world in any way we wish. And, if you're searching for your color, have some fun doing so. Whatever your color is, let's not hide it any longer. Remember, we're about being our authentic selves. Wear your color and let others see how fabulous it looks on you!

13:55

Whether it's our first conversation or we've been talking for a while, thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. While you finish your beverage, take some time to meditate on today's conversation and journal your thoughts and feelings. If you liked today's conversation and you haven't already done so, please subscribe to and review my podcast then download this episode. Don't forget to join my fan page on Fanlist.com/CoffeeCocktailsClarity, where you can share your thoughts on the episode, ask questions, or share your story. You never know, I may feature you in a future episode with your consent, of course, you can also follow me on social media. The links will be in the show notes. I hope our chat helped you to see things more clearly. I always enjoy talking with you. So let's take some time for us to get together again soon for some Coffee, Cocktails, and Clarity.