The Way Colors Make Us Feel

I've always been fascinated by the emotions we experience when looking at different colors. It's something hard to explain logically, yet we all feel it on an instinctive level. Recently, I watched an interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon where comedian Julio Torres humorously impersonated how each color "feels." It struck me how, while we often struggle to describe colors in words, its easier to express the emotions they evoke.

There’s science behind this. Each color has its own wavelength and frequency, which can influence our perception. The longer the wavelength, the lower the frequency, as with reds, which tend to evoke a sense of warmth or urgency. On the other hand, colors with shorter wavelengths, like blues and violets, have higher frequencies. These higher frequencies are often associated with feelings of calm, creativity, or even spiritual elevation. The higher the frequency, the more energizing and uplifting its effect on our mind can be.

Of course, there are contradictions—context is everything. A candle flame, with its warm orange glow, has long wavelengths and might seem energizing, but in the right setting, it’s calming, even meditative. The same goes for a sunset, which fills the sky with reds and oranges, yet is often associated with peace, reflection, and the winding down of the day. It shows that while color has inherent properties, the way we experience it is often shaped by the environment and mood in which it’s presented.