Reading Summary 5 : Color Walking

when people walk or ride through places, some may notice the object it self and often ignores the color. Colors are vibrant  and sometimes objects may become more appealing due to their color. Thanks to William Burroughs , he noticed and appreciated the beauty of colors and advised his students to explore color walking. Color walking is when one goes for a walk and uses the colors around them for a sense of direction.Most people explore color walking to relieve stress or to enjoy a simple activity. For example , one can notice a vibrant red door which leads them to notice a woman with red hair walking by. By following colors it helps ones notice colors and objects they usually wouldn’t notice on a day to day basis. In addition Phia Bennin and Brendan Mcmullan took Burroughs up on his idea , and explored color walking.

Bennin and Mcmullan decided to explore color walking in the city of Manhattan .When they went to explore the colors of their surroundings , they chose to switch from color to color rather than sticking with one. “We decided to give it whirl, and allow ourselves the flexibility to switch from color to color: a woman’s lavender handbag might draw us to the right; a yellow cab could pull us down a side street; a green pistachio ice cream cone could shove us into the park”(Bennin). Bennin and Mcmullan let the colors navigate them through the city .While they was color walking , the different colors drew them into other amazing colors.The first color they noticed was the blue on a woman scarf. The two authors was so fascinated they insisted on taking her picture.

“This lovely woman was happy to let us take a picture of her scarf, but she told us it would “look better on someone else.” We, of course, disagree “(Bennin).

The two color walkers drew their attention to something so small as blue chipping nails. By the end of their adventure , the colors was stuck in “color mode” s they payed attention to all the vivid colors around them.”At the end of the afternoon, the colors hung in our brains and eyes. We walked away seeing a world brimming over with colors: the rusty orange of a rooftop water tower in the sun, a bright blue mohawk, and the humble yellowy greens of a new leaf all jumped into our eyes” (Bennin).

Bennin and Mcmullan adventure with color walking has shown them the beauty of colors among the city of Manhattan. Color walking helps people pay attention to the beauty of colors, such as blue nails on a woman fingers , or the green color on a leaf. Color walking broadens one mind and help one pay attention to detail. Color walking is a fun simple activity that keeps one mind rumbling with all sorts of colors and to give attention to colors that sometimes go unnoticed. Something so easy as color walking can make a big difference in how one can view their environment.

 

work cited

Bennin, Phia, and Brendan Mcmullan. “Color Walking.” Radiolab Blogland. Radiolab, 29 June 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.