This week I have been repainting the reading room–so many things to talk about there early next week–when this video from our friends at Valspar landed in my inbox. It couldn’t have come at a better time.
Valspar is on a mission to bring color to those who don’t have it (and to remind those who do to appreciate it–done!) They recently launched “Color for All” and through a partnership with EnChroma, a manufacturer of color blindness correcting glasses, Valspar is gifting this special eyewear to a number of colorblind individuals while raising awareness about color’s impact on our lives. You have to see when these people put them on for the first time!
How moving and beautiful is that? It’s hard for me to wrap my head around nearly 300 million people living in a “dull world.” Color has been such a large part of my life as an artist and as a home maker. One of my favorite exercises as an artist is to start with the primary colors and black and white paint and mix and mix until I can match a given hue perfectly. To not be able to do that–it is making me appreciate the rich colors we have in our home in textiles and on our walls, too. Sometimes I can be so particular about getting a shade just right (again, reading room–Monday!) and this video has definitely allowed me to step back and realize how fortunate we are to be able to appreciate the color we have and to live in such a colorful world. Something I take for granted at times. (Give me all the paint colors!) The visual impact of color, both physically and emotionally, is truly incomparable.
Are you or someone you know colorblind (You can take a simple test right here)? How has it affected your life or home?
Ps. This is not a sponsored post, but I wanted to pass along the information because it is a subject I am so passionate about. If you are colorblind or colorblindness affects your life in some way, share your story with #ColorForAll or at ValsparColorForAll.com. Some of those submitting stories will receive EnChroma glasses, courtesy of Valspar. Additionally Valspar will be working with art museums across the country offering up the glasses to enable even more people to see color for the first time. To be a fly on the wall…
Thank you your article. I like it.
I love it. Nice job Julia
I just shared the link to my husband and dad, both are red/green colorblind. I haven’t heard back from my husband yet but my dad is over the top, to the moon excited about this new possibility!!! He’s texting me faster than I can keep up and he’s not a big texter. He’s already watched the clip 4 times over and checking in with insurance on how to get his hands on a pair. Thank you for sharing!!! Not sure how long it would have taken us to find out about this without your sharing, so thank you thank you thank you!!! He can’t wait to see our faces in full color and our daughters’ colorful pictures we send him. Keep up your good work – our sermon at church this Sunday was to be all that God made you to be, you are definitely being that and blessing others with your love of home, art, family – big hugs to you!
We have a friend who is both red-green and blue-violet colorblind, but he hasn’t let these limitations stop him from being an amazing artist. You wouldn’t know from his paintings that he is colorblind! http://aaronsutton.com/category/paintings/
My grandfather was fully colorblind. He could not distinguish any color, but rather saw life in shades of ‘gray’. He was not allowed to fight in WWII after failing medical tests due to his colorblindness and was discharged from the Army. We would always have to tell him the color of the shirt or pair of pants that we gave him as gifts. When I was little, my favorite game to play with him was Candyland because I had to help him discern the colors and where to move his gamepiece. Looking back, it seems a little cruel, but at the time I loved that *I* had to help *him* play the game, and I really don’t think he minded anyway. He was a great man and his colorblindness was just part of his life, not something that would or could ever change, so he just dealt with it. He passed away a few years ago, but I believe he would have jumped at the chance to put on a pair of those glasses, and I would have given anything to be there when he put them on. I’m an Interior Designer. I can’t imagine my life without color; and I think Valspar’s campaign is remarkable. Thanks for sharing.
It’s a pleasure to be able to spread the word about this campaign and hearing all of your stories, especially this one–gives me chills.