Colors of Love: Purple in Creativity

Purple is a color that conveys several different meanings. According to Nix Sensor, it can signify royalty and wealth, wisdom and creativity. In some parts of the world, purple even symbolizes mourning and death. This post will focus on the color purple as associated with creativity.

Creativity Flows from Intensity

In the heightened mental and emotional sensory state of limerence, creativity reaches its peak. After school, between bouts of doing homework and chatting with my friends online, I made plans for the next time I talked to him. I imagined that somehow, if I only tried hard enough, I could eventually make him love me.

At the start of my limerence with him, I wrote a poem about him. It spoke my heart but proved insufficient to express the fullness of intensity I felt toward him. After that, I began to write songs instead of melody-less poetry. My longing for him and dismay at the knowledge that I would never have his love in return were great. In the span of less than 4 years, I wrote nearly 30 songs inspired by him. (A 30^th song was written years later after seeing each other at a concert somewhat by happenstance.)

I wonder what songs Jesus would write about us humans when we do not choose Him. Perhaps some of the lyrics I wrote about simply wanting my limerence object to love me back would echo His sentiments toward us. He loved us so much that He died for us, yet we are incredibly quick to forget how worthy He is of our devotion.

Hearts Poured Out through Psalms

David and other psalmists also used their gift of musical creativity in the 150 chapters recorded in the book of psalms. Whether they felt happy, thankful, afraid, overwhelmed, surrounded by trouble, or blessed with peace and abundance, they turned to the Lord in song. Having seen His faithfulness in times past, they poured out their hearts to Him knowing He alone could help them.

It is not the intent of this post to probe the depths of the psalms. However, I will refer to some of those written in what might be considered the “best and worst” times.

The provision and goodness of the Lord are praised in Psalm 23. Everyone on the earth is encouraged to “make a joyful noise” to Him in Psalm 100. In the 8^th psalm, the psalmist is humbled and amazed by the glory of God shown in the beauty of the universe. These are examples of psalms written in the better, happier or “best” times of life.

By contrast, many psalms were written during moments of distress, in the “worst” times. Some examples are Psalms 13, 25:16-18, and 88, which include lyrics characterized by anguish and sorrow. Other psalms such as 28 and 42 begin by calling out to the Lord for help. Then the authors feel God making His presence known in mid-song and so declare His mercy and trustworthiness.

Regardless of the psalmists’ circumstances, after expressing their distress or inviting the people to praise, they spoke the truth. God had delivered them from their troubles in the past, and they were confident that He would do it again. Perhaps they had no idea how, but they knew the God of wonders would work His wonders once more.

Best and Worst

Reflecting on my experience with limerence, it strikes me how it brought out both the best and worst aspects of myself. I oscillated between mania and depression depending on whether I felt like my affection was reciprocated. In a way, this emotional roller coaster matches well with the color purple. It combines the do-or-die energy of red with the ocean-of-tears sadness of blue.

At the worst of it, I was grief-stricken, severely depressed, feeling like life was not worth the effort anymore. I consciously fought against this feeling because I knew God would someday help me understand how my suffering was for His good purposes. Despite being around my closest friends, I felt markedly alone. They could not understand what was happening to me. Nor could I explain it to them – at least not without having them read the lyrics to my songs.

The best moments in my limerence consisted of tears of joy, high hopes and understatedly big smiles. During the last 10 years, I have been blessed with much joy in marriage and starting a family of my own. However, to this day, the day I thought my limerence object told me he loved me was the most blissful day of my life. I think it was the closest I could feel to being in heaven while still living here on earth.

Thankfully, in either partially purple emotional state – manic or depressive – I was able to release some of the overwhelming emotion through my songwriting. Music has always been of utmost importance to me, even before I began to long for requited romantic love. Combining the two was powerful in expressing my experience in a heartfelt and also very memorable way.

Special Personal Meaning of Purple

In addition to the gift of creativity in songwriting, there is a special meaning to the color purple in my life. My daughter Emily was stillborn in September 2019, after her heart stopped beating around 6 months gestation.

The day before her memorial service, God told me that purple is her favorite color. This was after I had ordered purple stationery for song lyrics at the service. Hope Mommies had also given me a hope box filled with truth-declaring and peace-promoting items, which was purple colored. It is a treasure to have that piece of who she is until we meet in Heaven.

Naturally, I have written some songs about Emily. It was certainly a crisis situation, and crises often result in the most impactful artwork and greatest creativity. As I write this, I can feel another song about her love of purple beginning to well up in my heart.

My songwriting frequency had decreased significantly in the two years immediately before Emily died. When I found out her heart stopped, it was a breakthrough moment in two major ways. First, I had a new reason to grieve and to write my heart through song again. Second and more lifechangingly, it gave me an opportunity to begin to heal fully from limerence.

The fortress around my heart was cracked and it has been slowly chipped away these last few years. While I cannot say that I have fully healed yet, Emily’s short life has sent me on a more focused journey toward that healing. Because of this, I am compelled to echo Psalm 126:3, “The Lord has done great things for us.” Absolutely amazing things.

Create for the Creator

By now you know well that my creativity is best expressed through songwriting. What about you? How are your back-and-forth, purple emotions released? Do you like to draw or paint? Do you dance, write stories or poetry, or let your imagination paint and dance for you?

Our Creator God is the one who has given you these gifts, passions and inspirations. Whatever you do, look to Him as the one true healer, comforter, strength, peace and joy giver. Let your heart’s cries be to Him, the only one who can help you in times of distress. The only one who is worthy of your longing, admiration and the best of your creativity.

Create beautiful artwork and stories for Him, telling the world of His marvelous works. “For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised…. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.” (Psalm 96)

You may choose to share your artwork with others, or you may prefer to keep it to yourself. Either way, be assured that if it is created out of reverence to Him, it is beautiful to Him.

This post is part of the 2023 Colors of Love series. Other posts in the series cover orange, red, gray, white, black, green, blue and yellow.