I spent April writing my way through the annual A-to-Z Blogging Challenge with Color Contemplations, and today I’m accepting the invitation to reflect on the journey.
I’ve long delighted in obscure and obsolete words, and I happened to come across a couple of lists of such color names. It totally ignited me and inspired my challenge topic. I managed to find a color for each letter and then spent a delicious period of time in March experimenting with watercolors and inks, painting a swatch for each of my chosen colors. As has been my practice for all the years I’ve been playing in the challenge, I didn’t write my posts in advance. I love the challenge of allowing myself to be pulled into whatever direction the present moment calls me to, and so for each of my posts, I’d sit with the day’s color, and contemplate it. Then with my usual free association, stream-of-consciousness writing, I’d share whatever came to mind. It amused me to think of it as giving you a peek into the rainbow brainwaves emanating from my head.
I know some people might have been expecting or might have preferred posts that were more linear descriptions of each color, but actually, I was also trying to push those boundaries a bit as well. I absolutely believe that none of us sees the same thing. There is no way to know if what I see when I look at a blue is the same thing you see. Yet, for the most part, we assume we’re seeing the same thing. We might be willing to accept that colors display differently on different monitors and the like, but why should we imagine our brains and our eyes, and all the magic that is us, is seeing the same thing? So my hidden hope was that as I riffed about what the color meant to me, what it evoked in my mind and heart, it would inspire someone else to consider that not only do we not have to assume we see the same things, but that we can expand our definitions in far greater ways.
In truth, I think this is really a core value of the entire A-to-Z challenge for me. Here we are, hundreds of people, writing about unique topics, sharing our thoughts, our viewpoints, our experiences, our imaginings, and we all understand there will be folks who are simply not interested or in resonance with us, and also there will be others who might be entertained, or curious, or catch a spark of something that expands them a bit. And it’s all good. We push ourselves, which is the point of the challenge, we catch a proverbial wave, and we see where it takes us.
It amuses me that the dedicated theme of this year’s challenge was resilience, because that certainly was in play for me, and I suspect for many others as well, in ways we might not have imagined.
A few days into the challenge, I became ill, and literally spent a couple of weeks in bed, often with only enough energy to write my post, and spend another 10 minutes on a daily art creation for my 100-day project. I refused to give up on either project, and frankly, I’m inordinately delighted with the sense of accomplishment I feel. I did not get to visit every blog, which is always my ultimate goal, but I did visit 130 of them at least once, and often multiple times, and I’m satisfied with that effort. There are, of course, many I will be returning to and playing catch up with, but I’m good with that as well.
From my perspective, I think there was considerably less commenting this year than in the past. While, of course, it could be simply that since my own commenting was less than normal, I saw that in return. But actually, it seemed less on other blogs I visited as well.
I initiated a plan last year that I intended to pursue again this year, but unfortunately it was a total failure. My goal was, for blogs that were doing serial stories, I’d visit on Sundays and catch up on the week’s posts. My energy level just wasn’t up for the task, but I still think it’s a good-fit plan for me in general.
As always, I was delighted with the assortment of intriguing things folks chose to write about. It amuses me to think of all the participating blogs as part of a wonderful Cabinet of Curiosities, offering all manner of interesting things to peek at and explore.
I’m offering a shout-out of genuine gratitude to the members of the A-to-Z team – kudos for all your work!
I’m grateful to everyone who stopped by during the challenge, whether once, or faithfully, or any permutation between. It’s always a joy to connect.
I unabashedly love April and the challenge and appreciate everyone who decides to play. I always feel as though I end the month at least a little exhausted and yet filled to the brim. My well of ideas and inspirations has multiplied, my reading, listening, and to-watch lists grew, and my brain has been filled with all manner of things I’ve never considered or possibly even knew about before. How does it get any better than that?
Earlier this year, I came across these words written by Jonas Merkas: “In a meadow full of flowers, you cannot walk through and breathe those smells and see all those colors and remain angry. We have to support the beauty, the poetry of life.”
I think that sums up perfectly how I feel about the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge and the community that plays in it, and those who support it. What a delight it all is!
I wish my reflections post was as lovely as yours! I was also got sick at the start of the challenge and lost a good friend — who passed during week 1. So I appreciate what you wrote about continuing with AtoZ despite difficulties. I found your posts a welcome respite from the relentless writing (I didn’t write ahead) — and because I had so much writing to do, didn’t visit and comment as much as I like to. Lessons for next year, when I hope to write ahead and shorter posts, too. See you then!
Oh, I’m sorry for your loss, Molly. And for your illness. That’s a lot of hard stuff to navigate, and keep up with the challenge as well.
Shorter posts, prepared ahead of time, certainly sounds like an appealing path for next year.
Hari OM
As one who chooses to comment fully and appropriately to any given post, I know the time investment that takes and thus only ever take up to about 20 blogs to read during April. Quality over quantity has always been my mantra for this marathon! I find that very, very few folks are prepared to reciprocate to that level.
I so greatly enjoy the exchanges and rapport that can be built up. In this age of ‘likes and thumbs’ however, fewer and fewer people seem willing to engage beyond the shallows! Thank you for taking us deeper and wider with your flow of consciousness narrative form, Deborah. I always leave with something to mull over! YAM xx
Thank you, Yamini, for your kind words, thoughtful comments, and support. Your level of engagement with your own readers and with others is inspiring and really emphasizes what kind of relationships can be built on blogs. I’m delighted my posts offer things to mull over.
I enjoyed all your color posts but admit to only commenting on a few. I’m amazed at how you muscled through even with your illness. I hope you are feeling better. I will continue to follow you and see what direction your future posts take. Looking forward to it!
Our Prime Years – Life in Tennessee
DB McNicol – author | traveler | shutterbug
My Snap Memories – My Life in Photographs
Hopping thru my day – Personal Thoughts, Memories, & Ramblings
Thank you, Donna, for your visits. Comments are always welcome, but so is quietly lurking – I’m a big believer in following one’s heart. I’m impressed that you played in more than one challenge – that requires a great deal of stamina and commitment – and earns you double yays. 🙂
I didn’t know you painted those swatches! I love that you didn’t do the posts ahead of time; I know many people do so but I never feel very engaged since I’m an in the moment writer. It’s a strange dynamic when the person was feeling/thinking that way a week or so ago but isn’t currently. I enjoy learning about the new words (and colors!). I had my favorites and least favorites; I learned so much through your posts about them. Thank you for making me think with every post you write!
What kind words, Margaret – thank you! I’m so happy we live in a colorful world, giving us so much beauty to contemplate, and I love that every moment offers new perspectives. It really is magical, isn’t it?
A comprehensive reflections post, Deborah. Well done for completing the challenge with an interesting theme. I remember some blue glass bottles for indigestion medicine.
Thanks, Sue. When I was a kid, I knew someone who found a blue bottle on a Lake Michigan beach near water’s edge. We were sure there had been a message inside, and a great mystery was afoot. Alas, it may have been a more mundane find than we were willing to consider. 🙂
Wonderful reflection, Deborah! I enjoyed reading the stream of consciousness through your posts. It did take me on different journeys that may not have been traveled if you were just talking about the color blue. LOL. I also noticed less comments and I like your idea about catching up on Sundays with the blogs that are doing continuing stories. I’ll have to try that next year.
Thanks, Janet. It’s fun to celebrate another year’s challenge completed, isn’t it?
Lovely quote. Sounds like you had a great time this month — sans illness — and really enjoy this challenge.
Ronel visiting for Reflecting on a Double A-Z Challenge 2023
I did have a great time and hope you did as well,
Ronel.
Like everything I’ve ever read on your blog, this too was delightful Deborah.
I missed a few of your posts on account of travel and do hope I can play catch up in May. I go with the flow and sometimes that flow takes me away from the blogging world. But April brings me back to satisfy my thirst:)
I’m grateful for the “rainbow brainwaves emanating” from your head.
I’ve loved playing Holi with all the wonderful colours you shared with us.
Thanks for the lovely words, Arti. I’ll be circling back to you as well to catch up on more of your poetry.
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that you were sick, and glad you got through it and came out on the other side full of your usual delight! The world is, indeed, a meadow of flowers, even when bad things happen, too.
https://nydamprintsblackandwhite.blogspot.com
Thanks Anne! And I couldn’t agree more – even when bad things happen, life is a meadow.
Deborah, I was thankful for your visits to my blog. Yours was one that I visited a few times this April but somehow didn’t have the bandwidth to comment on, only because it was so rich that I felt I couldn’t do it justice in a short time. It adds yet another layer to it to learn that you painted the swatches yourself. I love not only colors themselves but the sounds of the words for colors. Amazingly, I had only heard of one or two of your chosen colors.
Have you read Toni Morrison’s novel Beloved? In it, the main character’s mother-in-law, Baby Suggs, takes to her bed, exhausted by what life has taken from her, and takes refuge in contemplating colors, gazing on one at a time.
My late father was a painter and after he passed away I found sheets of paper with the names, formulae, and swatches of a whole range of colors.
I will return. I really like the idea of free-associating to a word, and look forward to reading them properly, with no time pressure. I like your idea of visiting other blogs on Sundays. In practice though, this year anyway, I had to use Sundays to catch up on my own posts. As it was, I had many, many late nights last month!
So sorry that you fell ill during the month and hope that you are better now. BTW, I had no idea that there was a theme of resilience for this year’s Challenge! Where did you learn that?
All my best, Josna
What a lovely message, Josna – thank you. I’d totally forgotten about Sugg’s color contemplations – I’m delighted you reminded me. And how lovely to find your late father’s swatches and formulas. That seems so precious to me. Resilience was the theme of the a-to-zchallenge.com blog that the team members shared writing posts for. Wishing you all the best as well.
I loved your colours and comments to go with them. Great idea. Glad you made it through the month and thanks for your visits.
https://jemimapett.com/blog/2023/05/05/reflections-on-the-a-to-z-challenge-23/
Thanks, Jemima – I enjoyed your posts as well. It’s fun celebrating with everyone a month of letters.
Hi, thanks for visiting during the month, I´m looking forward to reading your posts, too.
I´m sorry to hear that you were sick although I admire your resolution to keep on writing. Kudos to you. It was a difficult month for many, as I could read posts talking about how real life got in the way for many of us and there were many that couldn’t finish, or even people who chose not to participate this year. Never mind, we hope next April will be better.
I loved your phrase about how what you see might not be the same as other people see, and I find it so true, from people who would have a different point of view or experience, to people who might perceive colors in different way than ourselves.
I remember when I was a child that I discovered that I saw some green shades in different tones with each eye, it is a small difference, but noticeable if I alternate closing my eyes. My parents never believed me, so I never knew before if it was something that happened to other people as well, which also made me wonder how did doctors or scientists discover that some people could be color blind to some colors.
Sorry for rambling too much, I hope to see you around.
Visiting from: Reflections on AtoZ 2023 https://steampunkcowunicorn.wordpress.com/2023/05/01/reflections-on-atoz-2023/
Phew! I hope you’ve recovered from your illness and bravo for doing what you did during that time.
I LOVE “the rainbow brainwaves emanating from my head.” That is exactly how it felt when reading your posts.
As usual, I am inspired and transformed by your posts.
Beth
https://bethlapinsatozblog.wordpress.com/