â¨Welcome to Follow Throughâessays on showing up, staying the course, and building something that lasts.
Welcome back to Rainbow Writing!!
Each day in August, Iâve been selecting a paint chip and writing something small inspired by the color. Itâs been such a fun exercise, both in visual imagery and consistency of craft!
Iâve been learning so much, and itâs been a great way to push myself to write something even on the days I really donât feel like it.
I hope you enjoy this weekâs posts!
Rainbow Writing Days 8-14:
Without further ado, hereâs a wrap up of Week 2 of Rainbow Writing!
Day 8: Greige đŠś
Type: free write
When did grey washed homes become the norm?
When did we collectively decide to paint the walls greige and replace decades-old oak cabinets with white pressed wood that sags if you look at it wrong?
My vote must have gotten lost in the mail.
I canât help but wonder why we have this fear of being seen⌠If we continue to assimilate, what will be left? Will we even recognize ourselves in the mirror in a few years?
Day 9: Velvet Indigo đ
Type: Project Ivy excerpt
Kennedy runs her fingers across the buttery soft velvet fabric. The couch is a rich, milky indigo that reminds her of duskâthe color of new beginnings melding with inevitable ends.
There is a nagging feeling in her gut.
She loves this couch, yesâŚ
But Scott will hate it.
Scott doesnât live here anymore but his ghost haunts every square foot. His laugh trickles through on the spring breeze, and despite herself, she misses him.
It might not be fair of herâleaving was the kindest gift he could have given her. But⌠why does freedom sometimes feel like death?
Day 10: Red â¤ď¸
Type: free write
Taylor Swiftâs album Red came out when I was entering my junior year of high school. Coincidentally, this was also the year I had my first boyfriend.
I always thoughtâbeing the passionate Swiftie that I amâthat love was meant to be dramatic fights and âburning red,â but I think Taylor was onto something with the song âDaylight.â In it she sings, âI once believed love would be burning red, but itâs golden like daylight.â
I think thatâs much more accurate.
The love I know now is so much subtler. So much softer, kinder, and more patient than I ever thought possible. It burns steady and slow and glows with the predictability of the sun.
And for that, I am the luckiest girl in the world.
Day 11: Orange â¤ď¸âđĽ
Type: free write
I didnât intend to write two pieces dedicated to Taylor in a row, but here we are on August 11th, counting down the minutes to her next big announcement!
The color orange has tinged the whole day with anticipation for the unveiling of her newest project.
I am proud to call myself a Swiftieâto be part of such a kind, uplifting, silly communityâbut I still remember the days when I felt ashamed for loving her music.
I am so hopeful that young girls today are proud to sing her songsâto feel secure in the sacred light of girlhood.
Day 12: Green đ
Type: Project Ivy excerpt
Milo sets his attention on the skyline like the captain suggests, but even with a laser focus on the opalescent buildings, he feels his stomach churn.
Plopping down on the bench seat, he pushes his head between his knees and zeroes in on his breath.
In.
Out.
From the deck, he hears Ivyâs laughter. It trickles through the thick summer air and lands as a smile on his pursed lips.
He is happy for her, truly! But, thereâs something festering underneath. Something nauseatingly green and as sour as his stomach feels as another wave hits the boat and sends him swaying.
Day 13: Aquamarine đŠľ
Type: Project Ivy excerpt
Alice sits on the ledge, nose pressed up to the glass in excitement as she watches the beluga whales swim around and around their pool. They look so happy and free, and she wonders what that must be like.
For as long as she can remember, sheâs belonged to someoneâor somethingâelse. Randy. Her job. Her parents. Even Julian.
What does it mean to belong to myself?
Day 14: Mauve đŠˇ
Type: free write
The house I grew up in had a small bathroom on the first floor, right next to the kitchen, and the walls were covered in mauve tiles. I loved them. They made me feel like I was living in a Barbie Dreamhouse.
My parents often talked about how they hated that bathroomâhow dated it felt. To me, though? It was magical.
The bathroom was eventually remodeledâmade more functional and modernized in the process. It was a necessary upgrade, making the bathroom much more usable for my sisterâs power wheelchair.
But, Iâll always miss those tiles.
Which day was your favorite?? Let me know in the comments! đ
Thatâs all for now! Thank you so much for reading. See you in the next oneđ
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