What's your favourite colour?
By: Gabriela Bambin
“What is your favourite colour?”
”It has always been red.”
There are colours that I like, that are pleasant to look at, that I picked up over the years because I thought they are cute, calming, or look good on my skin tone when we talk about clothes.
Red is a punchy colour to pick as a favourite, I agree. It is one of the most recognised by humans following black and white (biologically speaking), so it seems like a very natural colour to pick. Yet, whenever I ask, "What's your favourite colour", I can't remember being told, "Red". It is always blue, green, purple, or orange – colours, the words for which don't even exist in some languages.
Some even go as far as stating that sage green, coral pink, or periwinkle is their favourite colour.
The simple question of "What is your favourite colour" has somehow turned into sort of a competition. Saying white, yellow, or red – feels boring.
How would I continue the conversation, if you tell me that your favourite colour is red? I'll just nod and say "Interesting", although I don't find that at all interesting. Yet if you say that it is mahogany or brick red I might respond with: "Oh, that's oddly specific, why that colour precisely?". The truth is you probably don't know yourself, or maybe you do, but it has just about nothing to do with the colour itself. It's just more interesting, and that is all you care about.
The conversation will go on.
We will talk about how when you were a kid, you were laying bricks with your dad and he told you how proud he was of you, and suddenly brick red became your favourite colour. Look at us, we have been talking about you and brick red for 20 minutes now.
"Red", I write "is the colour of life. It's blood, passion, rage. It's menstrual flow and after birth. Beginnings and violent end. Red is the colour of love. Beating hearts and hungry lips. Roses, Valentines, cherries. Red is the colour of shame. Crimson cheeks and spilled blood. Broken hearts, opened veins. A burning desire to return to white.”
– Mary Hogan, Pretty Face
About the author
Some of Gabriela's hobbies include reading, yoga, fashion, solving sudokus, and learning languages. She can speak Bulgarian, English, Spanish, Korean, and some Russian. Gabriela has been writing since she was a child as her favourite way of self-expression. She often shares her writing pieces on her socials and last year opened her own Substack, but more on that next time maybe. Fun fact: She eats her ice-cream with a fork 😅
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