Wonder why black is your favourite? Or why a certain colour is associated with a certain mood? As humans, we are constantly drawn to different colours. Some colours make us feel happy, some make us feel calm, while others make us energetic.
What is it about these colours that have such an impact on us? How can we use colours to transform our life? This Holi, Aradhana Dalmia, artist and art consultant, tells My Kolkata about colour therapy and its benefits on our well-being.
Dalmia is the founder of The Artemist, an art consultation platform for homes, offices, hospitality and events.
Dalmia’s projects include ‘The Calcutta Mural’ at Monkey Bar and (right) a meditating sculpture by Janarthanan Rudhramoorthy for Century Ply’s Kolkata office
What is colour therapy
Colour therapy is holistic healing that uses colours to restore balance and harmony to the mind. Each colour has its individual benefits, which can be used to treat your mood and mind.
“Colours have different emotions and they are distinctly divided into negative and positive emotions. You feel differently when you see different colours. Colours play a big role in changing your emotion, mood and mental well-being. So it is very important to understand and apply colour therapy in your life,” said Aradhana Dalmia, who completed her Bachelors in Fine Arts from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York.
Benefits of colour therapy
According to Dalmia, colour therapy is beneficial to all. But it can specifically help those who need to de-stress and calm their mind. Dalmia said, “For children, colours can create a positive effect and help with their mental and emotional development. A colour a child uses tells us about their mental state. It can help colour therapists decode their emotions.”
In 2018, Dalmia held a colour therapy session with children affected by cancer at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bengaluru. “The children didn’t understand about the disease but were suffering a lot from pain and physical ailments. The session with them revealed a lot about their minds. While they thoroughly enjoyed the session forgetting about their anomalies, I learnt a lot about them. They drew things that they would love to experience. From mountains to flowers, the canvases were full of colours.”
The benefits of colour therapy include improved mental and emotional health, increased energy levels, and improved circulation.
Aradhana Dalmia is the founder of The Artemist, an art consultancy that creates, curates and commissions art Courtesy Aradhana Dalmia
Incorporating colours for well-being
“Little changes in colour to your room and surroundings can greatly impact your mood. So it is necessary to choose the right colours for your house,” said Dalmia, who has completed a course in art therapy from Manchester Metropolitan University, also known as Manchester School of Art.
While people who work in the creative fields understand the emotions of the colours, common people still may not understand the effects. “Fashion designers, artists, designers and anyone working in the visual creative field will understand how colours impact the mind. But most people don’t know colours yet. While many people think black is negative, creative people decode it as a mix of all colours. Similarly, red can be for roses and also denote the sign of danger. It all depends upon what you feel,” said Aradhana, who conducts sessions on creating patterns with colours, conversations with instrumental music and meditation.
She also said that painting for adults can also help their mind and one doesn’t even have to know drawing. Just grabbing a few colours and a notebook can be therapeutic. “Anyone can use colours. It is also about enjoying the process of making an art. The sky can be pink, trees can be blue. There is no horizon.”
From one of the therapy sessions by Aradhana Dalmia Courtesy Aradhana Dalmia
A ‘Happy’ Holi…
The Festival of Colours also has a positive impact on society and individuals, said Dalmia. “While we think of Holi and playing with colours as a festival ritual, its impact is greater. The act of applying colour on each other brings a community together, creating a positive bond. As we use bright colours in Holi, it lifts our mood and stimulates happy emotions.”
Aradhana Dalmia is an art consultant and founder of The Artemist. She is open to hold art therapy sessions on request by organisations.