“Okay class! Pick up the green crayon and follow along as we start to draw the grass.” Excited and proud five-year-old me ran up to show my teacher and classmates my beautiful green hill and stick figure. The eagerness quickly faded into embarrassment as my peers began to laugh and my teacher’s face filled with confusion as she stared at a purple grass. This was how I discovered my colorblindness and this was the start of the uphill battle of being a colorblind creator.
Flash forward a couple years and a couple color therapy sessions later, I have been molded into a semi-functioning ‘color recognizer’. But even with the coping skills I acquired, I am still bombarded by the “How do you get dressed in the morning?” or “What color is this?” questions on a daily basis. For me, this is just trivial and comes with the territory of uniqueness. The real defeat comes when my career success is brought into question.
For anyone who knows me, they quickly see my passions. Fashion is at the forefront, followed by pretty much anything related to content creating or the artistic realm. I have always loved these things. I was always the kid who refused to color inside the lines or to be dressed by her parents. Now I could spend hours editing a photo, curating the perfect outfit, or meticulously detailing a painting and love every second of it. Those of you similar to me in this regard know exactly the feeling I’m describing. It's the euphoria of doing something you absolutely love.
Now, imagine that feeling being beaten down by others questioning your ability to perform. This is the life of a colorblind creator. The fashion industry itself is already one of the most competitive and cutthroat industries to achieve respect. Starting as an underdog is not the position you want to be in, but here I stand.
In all honesty, I choose to look at this challenge as my biggest asset. What looks better than proving people wrong? Outdoing what people expect of you? Surpassing what an industry says you’re worth? Nothing. In the world of harsh critics and disbelief in my creative abilities, I choose to persevere. My stubborn nature serves me well, and having thick skin has been one of the most valuable skills I have acquired. Now yes, I have my flaws. I might need a little more coaching or details when it comes to coping with the field I immerse myself in; but I will never let it keep me from getting the job, editing the filter, or pairing a shirt with pants.
To me, life is all about taking what you are given and doing the most with it. If I chose to sit back and look at a colorless world, what good would that do? Where would I be? Bored. I’d be sitting at some desk job filing black and white papers into black and white folders. Instead, with the motivated mentality, I will be backstage of the fashion show, in the magazine editors meeting, and curating color palettes for Instagram pages. Although being colorblind is a major part of who I am, it will never determine who I can or will be.
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