Search This Blog

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Describe a Color Without Using its Name

Image credit Shutterstock
I've wanted to do this for awhile now. What I'm basically going to do is write up a description of a bunch of colors and see if you can guess what color I'm describing. I'm not allowed to use the name of the color in the description. 

Okay, our first color:

It is the color of the sky after Thanksgiving, when everyone has left. It is the color of the snow that lays dirty and packed into brittle sheets along the side of the road. It is the color of every other car on that packed highway, and the color of their drivers, those lifeless nine-to-five drones. It is the color grey.

Did you guess that one before I told you? Try this one:

When you step off that cramped plane, it is the smell of the salty sea air. When you first sink your toes into the sand, it is the color of the ocean. It is the color of your mother's vintage teapot, the one she's had since the seventies, the color of its chipped enamel. It is the color of the sky at sunrise, the color that surrounds the more vibrant pinks and yellows, but is beautiful in its own right. It is the color turquoise. 

Okay, that one wasn't as good. Let's try this one.

Everyone fears this color. It is the color you see in the middle of the night, when you wake in a cold sweat. It is the color of the shadows that follow us wherever we go, and stand in the closet when we turn off the light. It is the color of the sounds at bedtime, the things your parents say are just the house settling, but you know better... It is the color black.

I'm having a lot of fun with this! 

When you tell her you love her, it is the color of her cheeks. When you walk into the Hallmark store to get her a Valentine's card, it is the color you're assaulted by. It is the color of the diamond you picked out of for her months ago, the color of the sunset reflecting on the pond as you kneel down. It is the color of her squealed, "Yes!" and the color of her bouquet as she says, "I do." It is the color pink.

This is probably the best prompt I've ever been set. 

This color is disappearing, and we must protect it. It is the color of the soft carpet  you turned cartwheels on in your childhood, the color you kissed under on your first christmas with him, the color of the willows you walk under in your old age, holding his hand. It is the color of the salad you despised as a kid, and love now. It is the color of the water in your cup when you paint. It is the color green. 

That one was less than impressive. So here's your homework: pick a color and write about it. And then post it in a comment on this blog. And have fun doing it!


1 comment: