Nothing Blue About Blue

Blue is my favorite color.

It matters little about the shade because I like them all. From deep dark blues like the nighttime sky or the deepest parts of the ocean, to the various degrees of bright blue in a clear sunny sky, and the aqua and greenish hues of the seaside tide, I love the color blue.

As I washed my hair in the shower this morning, I peered out the bathroom window at the beautifully clear royal blue sky and thought to myself, how in the world did blue come to represent sadness? I knew it had something to do with blues music, but I wondered why blues was called blues. A quick Google search cleared up the history of blues music. Apparently it's inception was the 17th century expression "the blue devils," which referred to the intense hallucinations that accompany alcohol withdrawal. From there it was shortened to "the blues" and became a term used to describe a state of agitation or depression (Devi, 2012). The rest is easy to figure out. If you listen to blues music at all, you know the content and often the tempo are used to express melancholy. For me, blue does not represent sadness. Not one bit.

The way we interpret colors can be attributed to culture, but there is some widely accepted psychology behind the color blue. Various websites explain similar information from various perspectives. Color Wheel Artist describes some of the historical artistic uses as well as its use in design. In addition to color symbolism in design, Color-Meanings also describes color symbolism in literature. Countless sites interpret color based on astrology and psychology. Universally, here are some consistent beliefs about the color blue:

• Trust, loyalty- It's no coincidence so many police units have blue uniforms.
• Wisdom, confidence, intelligence- Most politicians and political leaders can be consistently seen in blue suits. Not saying they all exude these qualities, but they sure do try.
• Faith, truth- Lawyers also like blue suits.

I get all that, and I agree it's probably true. These are all explanations for the feelings behind dark blue, which I also love-think midnight sky glittered with distant stars. However, Color Matters made a distinction between dark blue, bright blue, and light blue- the latter two are the ones I gravitate towards. And here's why...

• Bright blue represents cleanliness, strength, dependability, and coolness.  According to Color Matters, these feeling come from the qualities of the ocean and inland waters, which are mostly tangible. One of the websites noted bright blue represent holiness in the Jewish faith. I never knew that, but picture the Israeli flag and it creates an ah ha moment. Also, many adornments in Judaica are royal blue.  
• Light blue represent peace, serenity, ethereal, spiritual, and infinity, which come from the qualities of the sky, which are mostly intangible.

Now my love of the color blue in all shades makes perfect sense. I love nature, especially a brightness in the sky and the hues of the sea. I've describes the intense feelings of peace I have when I'm by the water and in the sky. 

Here are some of my favorite blue photos. Notice any patterns in my photography?

Swimming pool blue during a fall swim meet. That's my boy flying!

Gorgeous fall twilight sky over the preserve in my backyard, Fort Myers, FL.

Perfect water, perfect sky from a balcony at Lover's Key Resort. Headed back next week- yay!

Twilight winter sky in front of our old house in Lehigh Acres.

My love against sparkling water and bright blue sky.

Don't remember where this was- looks like a water color.

Seagull-watching on a pensive, overcast day at Barefoot Beach, FL.

One of my favorite photos ever, the contrast of the white flower against the bright blue sky at Naples Zoo.

Beautiful winter sunset hues- the blues are almost white, in the Fort Myers sky.

Nothing but sky. Can't even remember where I tool this. Does it matter? The blues are delicious!

Love the colors at Clearwater Beach almost as much as my boys having fun!

Form the airplane window on a flight from my sister's in NC, as we flew back home over Florida.

One of my favorite all time beach photos, Sanibel Island. Pure serenity.

Beautiful invitation to the sea at Longboat Key, FL.

I took this one on a snorkeling boat while on vacation at Sandals Whitehouse, Jamaica.

All you see is vast deep blue sea and bright blue sky- I took this on a cruise ship.

Tree tops while lying on a bench during a camping trip at Fisheating Creek.

I guess I better stop here. This isn't a photography blog. But can you see now why the color blue can never make me feel sad? For me, the blues will always mean brightness, serenity, and hope! My eye is drawn to it and feeds my soul and my mood to be surrounded by blue skies and blue waters.