Hear the Colors: Creation and Synesthesia

(psst! You can now view the Vlog by simply scrolling to the end of the blog! It’s embedded right there for you)

Is It Synesthesia?

Do you have synesthesia? I don’t, but I heartily wish I did, although I know in some people it can be so intense as to be a distraction and very challenging.  

My middle daughter Rosie has a mild form of synesthesia. When she hears sounds, she sometimes sees colors, shapes, or feels textures. 

There are other cross-sense repercussions from this as well for Rosie. There are wall paint colors that she cannot abide and at one point in her life she couldn’t even look at an apartment to rent objectively if the paint color was weirding her out. Even though logically she knew that the color could likely be changed, she couldn’t see herself living happily in the apartment regardless of its floor plan or affordability. 

It’s a puzzling phenomenon that isn’t well understood. Apparently about 4-5 percent of the population have it, and it can be, but isn’t always, triggered by trauma, particularly brain injury.

Hear the Colors

“That’s a really loud green!” “the sun set in sizzling orange and red” “It was under a quiet blue sky that I fell in love” “A silent silver mist rose”… 

Why do you think we humans use words for sound to describe colors?   

There are lots of reasons, but after a dangerously short bit of researching and reading (but now I have a search topic for Youtube!) I’ve come to my own conclusion.

What that tells me is that our senses are closer to being entwined and synthesized than they are to being separate. It makes me wonder: what if the Fall never happened? What were Adam and Eve’s senses like? Did they hear colors and see sounds?

What will senses be like for those who live forever with Jesus in perfected bodies with no sin? On the New Earth? Will we hear and taste and smell colors? Feel the texture of rainbows? Taste the feeling of velvet? What will the flavor of music in the key of A be?

For me, art is as close as I’m going to get to that happy state for now.

It’s All Just a Mystery and that’s OK

As I mentioned last week, it’s all just waves. And I quote:

“ Light is waves. Sound is waves. Color is just the reflection of light waves. 

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’: and there was light.’” Genesis 1:3

All that is was created at the sound of God’s voice. Sound can then be seen. You see it if you see at all. If your eyes work, you see that which was created by sound.”

Sound is waves. Light is waves. And although the wave types are completely different from what we humans can currently observe (and I say that guardedly because have you heard of quantum physics? Things are changing in scientific study faster than the eye can blink sometimes, and we don’t yet understand everything that we’ve discovered!)

Here’s an interesting thought: you may not understand how I created the painting or the pot. But you know that I created it, and you can ask me to explain.

But even I don’t always understand how or why that particular piece of art exists. I can explain to you the mediums, the method, and often even give you a stroke-by-stroke account of how a painting came to be…but you will not be able to reconstruct it yourself, nor can I reproduce the exact same painting or pot.

It’s a mystery. A genuine, delightful, un-searchable mystery. It brings me to joy and excitement and…

…wonder. And worship.

And I want that for you, too.

My hope, expressed in my tagline ‘see the music, hear the colors, touch the magic, and awaken the wonder and worship in your heart’, is that my art will motivate you to seek to have your senses opened to the mystery of creation and the Creator. I expect that it requires a synthesis of all our senses, and that this can only exist in the presence of God. 

I seek to bring you into His presence in hopes that the mysterious, wonderful presence of the Living God will somehow lift you to wonder and worship. My tagline reflects that.

This Week in the Studio

AAAAAHHHHH!!! So much to do!

Yes, I’m feeling a bit of the panic of having filled up my April schedule (and honestly, March isn’t empty at all!). So if you pray, please pray for me to remain calm and yet be diligent. 

I do have requests lining up which will probably take me into May, so if you have a commission or a request, be aware that it will go on the list but that April shows will have to take precedence at this time. I encourage you to go ahead and get on the list, though! Don’t wait, because your art could be delayed even longer. June already has a big commitment in the last week which will require probably at least another week of prep.

Meanwhile I made all these really cool mugs, goblets and herb strippers, as well as a painting I’m super proud of.

I also created a painting of a bluebonnet: it’s bluebonnet season here in Central Texas and my heart always wants to paint them when they start blooming.

Last Sunday was my birthday, and my oldest and youngest daughters, Lacy and Lyric, treated me to Afternoon Tea at a tea house in Austin. Oh, we had such a lovely time!

What you might not know is that I’m diabetic. In the 8 years since my diagnosis white bread or anything with sugar in it has not passed my lips! When I found out about the coming tea party, I contacted my doctor and let her know that I was for sure going to at least taste everything.

She gave me permission to enjoy it all!

And so I did.

I’ll admit that I couldn’t bring myself to put actual white sugar in my tea. But it was so delicious without, and a spot of cream was all that was needed for some of it.

Ah! My sparkling unicorn friends, it is finally time to say goodbye again for another week. More pots and paintings await! 

Spring has arrived here in Central Texas. “The time of singing birds has come!”…

Sing the colors! Paint the music! Model the magic of life with the work of your hands! Give the glory to God!

Godspeed