My Lifelong Love Affair with Color

If you know me, you know I take matching very seriously. Some people call it a fashion choice — I call it survival. My brain literally won’t let me leave the house unless my outfit feels like it’s in harmony. Matching shoes, socks, chokers, hats… if there’s a color that ties into my outfit, you better believe I’m putting it on.

 

For as long as I can remember, my favorite color was orange. Not just any orange — bold, bright, unapologetic orange. Over time, that love shifted into mustard yellow, and eventually into this little trio I live by now: burnt orange, mustard yellow, and olive green. Basically, fall on a mood board. 🍂

Pattern Recognition & My Autistic Brain

 

Being autistic, my brain loves pattern recognition, and color has always been the main pattern for me. When I went shopping, I’d only buy things that matched what I was wearing that day. Which meant, for years, my closet was basically one big burst of yellow. Even now, if I’m not coordinated, I literally can’t think about anything else — like my brain is stuck buffering until the outfit makes sense.

 

One of my proudest “too much” moments was when I wore black pants, a yellow shirt, a yellow hat, a black choker, and mismatched shoes/socks: one black shoe with a yellow sock, one yellow shoe with a black sock. People noticed. I got comments like, “Oh my goodness, everything is coordinated!” and honestly? That was the point.

Why Colors Are My Superpower

Funny enough, when I went through my autistic assessment, one of my highest scores was pattern recognition — especially with color memory puzzles. It’s something I’ve always had, but since diving into art, it’s like a superpower I can’t turn off.

 

Colors don’t just decorate my world; they organize it. They ground me. And at the same time, they remind me that what some people see as “extra” is actually just me living in full color.

✨ Weekly Journal/Art Prompt:

 

Pick your favorite color this week. Each day, notice where you see it — in your home, outside, in your clothes. Write one sentence about how that color makes you feel, or doodle something in that color. Just a couple of minutes, but watch how it changes your awareness.