The purpose of the article “Color Walking” by Phia Bennim and Brendan McMullan is to introduce the idea of “color walking”, inform the readers on what it is, and encourage the readers to do it themselves. The authors begin with their explanation of how they got the idea of color walking from William Burroughs and how the creation of this idea was meant to inspire. This is especially important as just as Burroughs sought to inspire his students, the authors are seeking to inspire their readers.

 

Additionally, the authors give an account of their own experience doing a color walk. Phia Bennim and Brendan McMullan tell of how they were led by colors from WNYC in Manhattan that they followed through the city, going after whatever caught their eyes. The experience of the color walk gave both the authors a different perspective as they saw the world in a way they usually hadn’t. They expressed, “We walked away seeing a world brimming over with colors…” (Bennim; McMullan)

 

People see color everywhere, all the time. However, it is not often one lets their eyes guide them by way of spotting colors. People often set forth with a plan and think the whole way through. Bennim and McMullan are essentially encouraging people to take a step back from this rigid way of moving about in the world, and to embrace all that can be seen.