The Color of Courage: The Five-Minute Paint Chip Challenge
How five minutes with a tiny chip of color might unlock what you've been afraid to write
This Week’s Courage Newsletter
"You know the transformative power of art. You've gotten lost in music, in a painting, in a movie or a play, and you felt something shift within you. You've read a book so compelling that you pressed it into the hands of a friend; you heard a song so moving, you listened to it over and over, memorizing every word. The arts bring joy. Inspiration. Well-being. Understanding. Even salvation." - Ivy Ross & Susan Magsamen - Your Brain on Art
Why five minutes with a paint chip might be your bravest act this week
This Week's Scare Your Soul Challenge: The Five-Minute Color Prompt
Bottom line: Sometimes the smallest creative constraints unlock our biggest truths
Dear Courageous Souls (and Reluctant Writers),
Can I make a confession?
I'm terrified of the blank page.
Yes, I – the guy who writes to you weekly about courage – sometimes sits at my desk, fingers hovering over the keyboard, paralyzed by the infinite possibilities of that empty white space.
Sound familiar?
Recently, I've been captivated by Suleika Jaouad's new book, "The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life."
In it, she shares a fascinating interview with Michael Bierut, the legendary designer who formalized the 100-day project at Yale.
Bierut told her about a student whose project involved putting one hundred paint chip cards into a box, then fishing one out each day and writing something about that color – "something poetic, or something quick and dismissive, sometimes just a single word, sometimes a long essay."
What struck me was how this simple constraint – a randomly selected color – freed her from the terror of the blank page. The color became both a starting point and a permission slip to begin.
I decided to try it myself.
I went to the hardware store, gathered a handful of paint swatches, put them in a bowl, and pulled one out with my eyes closed.
The color I pulled was a deep teal called "Midnight Swim."
I pulled out a journal.
I set my timer for five minutes and began writing:
"Midnight Swim reminds me of summer camp in New Hampshire when I was 10, when my bunk-mate dared me to sneak out to the lake after dark. The fear of getting caught mingled with the thrill of rebellion as we tiptoed past creaking floorboards and sleeping kids. The water was so cold it grabbed my breath, but the stars reflected on the surface made it look like we were swimming through the cosmos. I remember thinking how strange it was that the same lake that seemed so ordinary during the day could transform into something magical at midnight – and how I’ve loved being around water at night time ever since."
When the timer went off, I was surprised to find I had more to say, not less.
That single color had unlocked a memory I hadn't thought about in decades.
This is the paradox of constraints: they don't limit creativity; they ignite it.
Why is this simple act actually an act of courage?
Because for many of us, journaling feels terrifying.
We worry about what might emerge on the page. We fear that someone might find our private thoughts and read them. We dread facing our own harsh self-judgment about what we've written. It's so much easier to stay comfortable and avoid writing altogether.
But in that avoidance, we miss the opportunity to discover parts of ourselves that are waiting to be known.
As Michael Bierut told Jaouad in her book,
"Life is like that. Sometimes it's the thing that you were hoping for, sometimes it's the thing you were dreading, and your ability to react to it in a human, authentic way is how we survive."
This Week's Scare Your Soul Challenge: The Five-Minute Color Prompt
Choose one of these four Pantone colors above (or find a paint swatch that calls to you)
Set a timer for just five minutes
Write about that color – how it makes you feel, what memories it evokes, what stories emerge
If you wish, take a photo of what you wrote or forward the text to me at scott@scareyoursoul.com with the subject line "I chose this color: [color name] and here is what I wrote about it..."
Remember, this isn't about creating a masterpiece. It's about showing up for five minutes of creative courage – a tiny brave act that might just spark something new and beautiful and true.
Because sometimes, the most courageous thing we can do is put pen to paper and see what emerges.
With courage, curiosity, and a newfound appreciation for paint swatches,
By the way … even more of you took our Scare Your Soul courage quiz last week - THANK YOU! You're part of an incredible group that's helping us understand the collective courage journey.
If you haven't taken it yet, just click below!
P.S. If you share what you wrote with me, I'll respond with what I wrote about the same color. Let's create a dialogue between our creative worlds!
Some Of My Favorite Past Challenges
What Your 95-Year-Old Self is Telling You - DEC 7, 2023
Letting Go - Finding the Beauty in Saying Goodbye - AUG 23, 2023
Complaints, Be Gone! Finding Freedom in the No-Whine Zone - JUL 13, 2023
Unleashing the Magic of Unexpected Kindness - JAN 11, 2025
Fear is not the enemy - So, what is? - JUN 1, 2023
Soaring to New Heights + How Our Dreams Can Lead the Way - FEB 8, 2023
The Storm is Almost Over - OCT 19, 2023