Ayana Ruffin

Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1103
13 March 2016
Reflection
I received very positive reviews from my peers. They told me that some of my information
sounded kind of redundant, need work on my knowledge of conventions, so I tried to change
things around and mess with the wording. I added more information into my paper that seemed
useful. I did not get any other kind of feedback about needing to change anything major in my
paper. The reviews from my peers made me think that I was getting better at using my own
voice in my writing so I am very happy about that. This was not an essay assignment for me
and the positive reviews from my peers made me feel very happy about my writing ability. I did
enjoy looking up the information for the paper, mostly because I had an excuse to look at TV.
An Eye for Color
Everyone has that one color that they love more than others. It could be the colors in a
room or your favorite piece of clothing. The colors we see everyday influence us in more ways
than we think. A great quote said by Georgia OKeeffe, I found I could say things with color
and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for. Have you ever
wondered why you feel a certain way when you're exposed to certain colors or patterns? Why
you feel a certain way depending on the weather?
Lately I have been really interested in these questions. The curiosity developed while
watching TV, more importantly the design channel. I noticed how advertising use certain colors
to catch the interests of buyers. Color is used in marking, brand identity, to improve memory,

increase participation and so much more. Its so interesting to see how designers/ remodeling
contractors can take old furniture or houses and make them into masterpieces. The colors used
for the houses all fit together to create a calm layout. But the question that goes through my head
is why? Why do certain colors cause certain effects? At the beginning of each episode the
network shows the house or room before anything is renovated; the old colors and the original
layout of the place. Going through some of the places you can almost fill the cluster and all you
can think is that the owners would be better off moving. The designers go through in details how
you can open up the layout and add splashes of your personality. Sometimes it is simply just
adding some paint and furniture. I found it interesting how much a layer of paint can drastically
change the feeling of the room. Since I watch the design channel so much it has raised the
question, can color really affect your mood and behavior?
Everyone knows that color is all around us. The sky is blue and the grass is green. A lot
of people don't know that the use of color can be dated back to more than 2000 years ago. The
ancient Egyptians have been recorded to have been using color for cures and ailments. They
worshiped the sun and used nature as a big aspect of their daily lives. Records show that the
ancient Egyptians had rooms that were different colors in order to heal different illnesses.
Researchers have determined that that was a form of color/ light therapy. Color has had and still
has a big impact on society. A very interesting fact that I learned about, by a researcher named
Jill Morton, was that color can improve relationships by 40%. Learning can be increased by as
much as 78%. Theres so many connections that can be made between color and everyday things
and events.
Knowing about colors and how it differentiates between cultures can be useful in the
future. For example, you wouldn't want to offend someone in a different culture by wearing a

certain color around them and not knowing what it means. I have gathered evidence about color
through e-books, databases, Ted talks, and much more. Comparing the information gathered
from scholarly sources and the information from previous knowledge.
When I was researching ideas I figured that the best thing to do would be to research
something that really holds my attention. I have always been interested in color schemes.
Looking up colors for a room and the information behind each color. I picked the topic while
watching TV. By researching this topic I want to get an in depth understanding of color, how
something so simple and small can make a big influence on people. The topic of color opens up
so many questions that I plan to explore and answer in my essay.

Work Cited
"Color Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/color_2.html>.
"Colour History." Colour History. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour/colour_history.php>.
Gremillion, Allison S. "How Color Impacts Emotions and Behaviors." The Creative Edge. 08 Sept.
2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2016. <https://99designs.com/blog/tips/how-color-impacts-emotionsand-behaviors/>.
Morton, Jill. "Why Color Matters." Why Color Matters. 2010. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.colorcom.com/research/why-color-matters>.