When colours become a burden

I usually moan about being colourblind and wearing makeup, trying to be a fashionista. A world where colours define you. Make you feel in or out… but is there anything kinda cool about it??

OK, let’s press rewind a minute (yeap, I am from the time where “rewind” was a thing). So, I spent loads of years thinking, believing, knowing that apart from being visually impaired (registered partially sighted), I was also red/ green colour blind. Kinda amazing coz, well, women are not rarely colour blind (that is a myth people! 1/200 gals are colour blind).

So, as a teacher and someone who is into research, I decided to volunteer and take part in research that had to do with glasses that supposedly corrected colour vision (if only it was that simple). Anyhoo, I did this specialised test and found out that I am not red/green colour blind. I am an incomplete achromat which means I have a bit of colour vision. I am closer though to those who see black, grey, and white. Now that is RARE. Still in the process of figuring out what is going on though.

How could I not know? Well, I always knew my colour vision sucked which is why I always asked people for help with colours, therefor no problemo!

The… Pros?

The main disadvantage of being colourblind is not being able to see colours. Don’t get me wrong, it sucks. A lot. As lot as a lot can be, but it is also liberating for me, as a woman (when I am in a free spirit mood).

Liberating????

Think about all the colours you do not wear coz you think they do not suit you. I do not have that problem. I have no idea what looks shit on me (unless someone tells me), so I am free. I just go for it.

I wear brights, neons, pinks, reds, yellows, the lots! And it is fine. I get compliments even. I stand out.

My manager said the other day

Nice colour Joanna. Very bright….

Huh?? Had I known my top was bright, would I have worn it? Probably not. I would have thought,

I cannot wear something bright to work

But I did… And I can… And it doesn’t matter!!!

My lippies are pinks. Pinks that most of my friends are scared to go near. I wear them and they say,

Oh! It looks nice! Get it.

The interesting thing is that they say,

You can pull off those colours

Can I? Or is it about living in the bliss of not knowing…

I buy clothes (which I do not know how to match), but I buy if I think it looks good against my skin. If the top looks good, I get it!

I am free till I am not. Until everything needs to match, my insecurities take over, and I just conform to the norm. A world where everything is colour coded.