Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Colorful Personalities Brighten Book Club Conversations


What distinguishes an average book club from a stellar, can’t-miss one?
Rich conversation, right?
And what’s one of the best ways to ensure a roomful of book lovers will eagerly engage in book talk? (Besides good food and wine.)
Invite a blend of personalities.
Recently I read an email highlighting the unique impressions certain colors can have on individuals. I thought I’d have fun matching these colors to book club personalities, offering examples of how everyone brings something special to the club.
Blue (Has a calming effect and creates feeling of serenity.)
The blue member nods her head, is excellent at mirroring, and adds to the intriguing points shared in the group.

Green (Brings balance to your mind and smoothes out your hectic day-to-day routine.)
Ms. Green always makes you glad you came, come three feet of snow or high basement waters. She has comical and entirely revealing facial expressions. Greenie also has a cool affirming way of speaking to everyone.

Orange (Makes you feel more optimistic. A pick-me-up when you’re sluggish.)
The orange member is gifted with bringing up overlooked aspects in the novel. She makes book club brains go from “I need a nap. My thoughts are muddy slop.” to “I’m at the circus. My thoughts are flaming hoops.”

Red (Increases your energy level and stimulates your heart rate.) 
Ms. Red has a wonderful way of challenging thoughts in a non-combative, conversation-fueling manner. She weaves one stimulating point into the next and asks mind-popping questions. She makes book club memorable.

Purple (Generates creativity.)
Purple helps the group to see characters in an entirely new light, triggering women to reveal varying perceptions. She has a knack for connecting books to the club member’s lives with a fresh relevancy. 

Yellow (Inspires an upbeat, positive attitude.)
Yellow is good at simmering unnecessary brewing tension. She spins the conversation so the group appreciates the value of respectfully disagreeing, then moves everyone along on a new, exciting topic.

Indigo (Thought-provoking. Cultivates deep thinking.)
Ms. Indigo transitions the group from wine and cheese social hour to actually talking about the book. She’s the last one asking questions and has a tendency to come up with multiple answers for each question asked. Definitely not your black and white thinker of the bunch.

Violet (Much like purple, this color inspires peaceful, confident feelings.)
Ms. Violet gives you that peaceful, easy feeling (Hello Eagles) every time you get home and think back on your experience with the group. She makes you excited for the next month because you know she’ll be the first one to encourage your thoughts along.
Which color do you bring to your book club? Which color would you like to bring?
*the first five descriptions came from the email I mentioned (not sure the source, but sounded good to me…or at least good enough to craft a post from) and the influences of the last three I made up all by my lonesome
**photo by stock.XCHNG
 
 
 

9 comments:

  1. Ooo, I love this, Wendy! Great picture too! I am a mix of most of these colors. I'm more green and yellow, but I'd like to be more red and purple!

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    1. I can see green and yellow in you. Love you that way, Jill.

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  2. I agree with Jill. I'm a mix of colors! I love your creative posts, Wendy. Always blows my mind. :)

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    1. Thanks! That's exactly what I set out to do when I sit to write each post. I say to myself, "What could I write that will blow Jessica's mind?" ;-) Appreciate the encouragement!

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  3. Fascinating to consider - love the concept. I believe I'm usually Mrs. Blue, but now you've got me thinking. What else could I bring?

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    1. I'm probably more like a mood ring when it comes to figuring out which ones I am--ever-changing, based on my...mood. It also really depends my impression of the book.

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  4. I am not presently in a book club or a writer's group. But,like the others, I am a combination of colors. Thank you for this post.

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    1. I think we can all be a mixture of these. It was fun to play with the descriptions and different personality types I've come across in my book clubs. Are you feeling stirred to start one up?

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  5. I love your creativity, Wendy. And now I wish I belonged to a book club too:)

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