^^^So proud of this picture I took! ^^^
This weekend, I had the absolute pleasure of attending my first organised colourwalk. Not only that, but I only went and bloody co-hosted it!
Organised by the online community, In Colourful Company, founded by Toni Bee – one of the warmest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting – the premise is that a group of like-minded people come together to enjoy some chit chat, make friends, and live colourfully. It’s that simple.
This time it just so happened to be taking place in my beloved city Manchester and it just so happened that myself, Bianca and Nicola were hosting. See below just how adorable they are. Freakin’ awesome gals.
Image courtesy of Alexander Ward
Squad goals right? Our rainbow balloons helped guide the crowd so no-one got left behind. And whilst you wouldn’t know it, we actually only met weeks before, brought together by our joint volunteering to play host. So what did we get up to, I hear you cry?
After meeting at the train station, we gathered, we added name tags (complete with Instagram handles of course) and we got chatting. It’s a little funny trying to explain the premise of a colourwalk to others, but essentially it’s coming together with a shared love of exploring new places and meeting new faces.
This was a big deal for me, as I’ve made a conscious effort in 2017 to test the waters with more ‘group’ activities, and do more which isn’t in my comfort zone. I’m far from a social butterfly, charge up my energies from time alone (typical introvert) and do suffer from social anxiety in large groups.
But the wonderful thing about this group in particular is that it’s inclusive. Anyone and everyone is welcome. We even had a little toddler along for the ride, and he did brilliantly! (I didn’t dare bring my little girl as I was hosting, but next time! I think she’ll love it)
Below are some of my absolute favourite snaps of the day – thank you ever so much to my mate Alex for taking them. I think they’ve beautifully captured the carefree, frolicking enthusiasm of the day.
What my very first colourwalk taught me:
- Creative people are completely open. So many of the women I met were self-employed illustrators, or designers, or jewellery makers. Absolutely incredible amount of talent and a complete and utter openness to new adventures and outlooks on life. I came home feeling completely motivated to be a better version of me.
- I need colour. If you’ve not seen the Jim Carrey “I needed color” video doing the rounds, I urge you to take a look. I feel the same in many ways although not to such an extreme. Every day can be draining in its own way and the drab, sardined commute to Manchester’s concrete jungle can often leave me deflated. I’m a chipper person for the most part but I’m not actually wired that way naturally. So I look for the twinkles of hope in any way it presents itself. People ask me a LOT how I find colourful walls for example. The answer is easy. I look for them. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one.
- I’ve learned that if you dress head to toe in yellow, and sit on the yellow coloured metrolink benches – the general public may take pictures of you. I’m cool with it. Turns out, it was the colour of the day! Absolutely perfect for our honorary Manchester bees for the day.
So there you have it. A little taste of what a colourwalk is and how I spent my weekend. Check out the #incolourfulcompany hashtag if you fancy a peak at everyone’s pictures. Hopefully I’ll see you at the next one.
