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Colors inspire. Colors elicit deep emotions and memories. Colors symbolize life events and the changing of the seasons. We surround ourselves with color - in our homes, in our gardens, and even on our dinner plate.The idea of Project Spectrum is simply a celebration of the colors around us, and taking the time to notice them. Participants can dye, crochet, weave, decoupage, spin, build, stitch, knit, paint, scrapbook, construct, sew, quilt, cook, grow, collage, photograph, bake, or bead items in that color group (of course all arts and crafts that I missed are totally welcome as well!).It is really about expressing yourself creatively - making something beautiful, and creating something unique with your hands. It is also about thinking outside of the box - perhaps taking up a new hobby, or a long neglected one, or finally dabbling in design.
You can choose to make one thing out of the designated color(s) in the two-month span - or twenty things! This is a no-pressure project. You can simply make a photo essay - you carry around your camera with you and post pictures of the color objects you see throughout your daily travels.
Projects can be big or small - whether you plan to tile your kitchen or photograph a blooming tree in your backyard - it is not a race, it is just about sharing your creative work to inspire others and express your spirit!
Just as the cardinal directions are linked to a color, each direction is also linked to a season, an element, and a natural material in many cultures. This quartet of features (color, material, season, and element) are a part of this cardinal direction. As a participant in Project Spectrum, you can choose to simply explore the colors associated, or even the textures of the natural material. If you choose, you can interpret the directions through the lens of the associated season or of the element. Your interpretations can be literal or esoteric. You can explore the science or the philosophy. Like the Project Spectrums of years past, it is totally up to you!
NORTH (March/April)
Color: Green
Material: Stones/Gems/Rocks
Season: Winter
Element: Earth
EAST (May/June)
Color: Yellow
Material: Wood
Season: Spring
Element: Air
SOUTH (July/August)
Color: Red
Material: Metal
Season: Summer
Element: Fire
WEST (September/October)
Color: Blue
Material: Glass
Season: Autumn
Element: Water
Think of the liberty of having four colors - you can blend the colors and explore the different hues, or you can combine the colors with others in the rainbow, comparing and contrasting. You can play with hues of color where green meets yellow, or before red shades into blue.
The natural material aspect is something that I have wanted to incorporate in to Project Spectrum for some time. I love playing with texture in my own projects, and wanted to find a way to bring this aspect to the group. I think that the material may, in fact, be one of the most rewarding aspects of this Project Spectrum cycle! It also encourages participants to, once again, think outside of the box - expanding the creative process past the needles and the yarn. (Not that there is anything necessarily wrong with that!) Stonework, wooden buttons, metal pins, and glass beads - how do you interpret these natural materials alongside the colors? If you want to focus solely on the natural materials, this is also your decision.
I am most excited about the basic cardinal directions aspect, because it gives us the opportunity to think about where we are on this planet, and how our interpretations of the directions are very different. If we allow it to, this Project can teach us a lot about ourselves, and about others. Be open to it!
For some great discussion, inspiration, and project planning, please check out the Project Spectrum Ravelry group and the Project Spectrum Flickr Pool!
