Let’s be painters for one moment, stay with me and put the oils on the canvas. Picture this: beige. You have one window, your life has begun to slow for the next few months. The smell of B.O. is wafting into your cell, the fresh air failing to purify the atmosphere before your gagging turns to vomit.
Chunks of what appears to be the little food you were able to stomach float within the water, and let off a new smell that once mixed with everything else- tastes of poison. You slump down to the cold hard ground and stare up at the walls. Eyes dragging side to side there is only one color that you can see; beige. There is no warmth in the paint, only a light shade of brown to mock you for your decisions.
Such a thing inevitably bubbles into frustration, no? Nonetheless, there is one simple way to change this tragic painting, to dip into the pastels and finally contrast the dark browns. That is a little thing called the color pink.
Pink has been used several times to calm prisoners, more specifically, a shade called “Drunk Tank Pink”. Although these relaxed states are mostly temporary, the results are effective enough to cause a select few police stations to use the color as well. Norwell Police Department is one example.
In addition, the color pink in general has been proven to cause the viewer to calm down and feel happier. Several students were surveyed, and 81% of all participants experienced positive sensations and/or were reminded of something positive due to the color. This phenomenon is described by how pink can induce higher dopamine levels. Pink is a warm-toned color, and as explained by Mental Health America, “bright, warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) stimulate energy and happiness.”
Now, of course, not everyone needs to like pink. In fact, a world where pink is the only color would be infuriatingly dull. Nonetheless, one cannot ignore the beauty and tranquility of the color. Try at least to embrace it. Don’t knock it as something girly or “too much” until you have fully experienced the magic. The magic of the color pink.
