Spinnaker’s very own program director, Sydney Chatani, will be covering the color blue for this segment of Creating Real Color. Chatani is a sophomore majoring in social work at the University of North Florida. Since the pandemic, she has been contributing her creativity to Spinnaker through thoughtful album reviews and weekly curated playlists. You may have heard her voice throughout the Student Union on her live radio show, In Sync With Syd, where she plays alternative rock from the 80s and 90s. Here are her thoughts on creativity and the color blue. 

Question 1 – What emotions does the color blue evoke for you? 

Answer 1 – Sadness, peace, nostalgia, tranquility, wistfulness, calm. It’s not demanding or in-your-face. While some of those emotions sound negative, I don’t think they’re inherently bad. It’s important to feel sad, nostalgic, wistful — it means you have the energy to care about something. So, if you care, eventually feelings of tranquility and acceptance come along as well. I think the emotions that I associate with the color blue are all a cycle.

Question 2 – What do you think of when you see blue? 

Answer 2 – I think of faded denim, Americana music, sitting with friends on a porch deck after the party is over, my mother’s eyes, saying goodbye to a loved one, and Joni Mitchell. I also think of old, happy memories. I’m a big sucker for nostalgia. Blue reminds me of memories that I can’t relive, but take comfort in reminiscing over. 

Question 3 – What song reminds you of blue?

Answer 3 – The sardonic part of me wants to say “Mr. Blue Sky” by Electric Light Orchestra. Realistically speaking, “Say Yes” by Elliott Smith. 

Question 4 – How do you create? 

Answer 4 – I’ve always been introspective and deeply invested in the world around me, probably too much for my own good, but the world fascinates me. The intricacies and motivations of human behavior and emotions are oftentimes inexplicable, so I write about it. Whether it’s exploring my own experiences, those of my friends, or those of people I’ve never met, the world makes a little more sense to me when I express those stories in writing. It’s not so much fiction as it is just rambling prose about how wonderfully strange life can be sometimes.

Question 5 – What role does creativity play in your life? 

Answer 5 – Expressing creativity via writing helps me make sense of situations that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to understand in places like therapy, or even casual conversations with friends. I guess it’s somewhat of a coping mechanism for me. Whether I’m frustrated with what’s going on in the world that’s outside of my control, or simply writing about experiences I’ve had, writing has always been an outlet for me. The best part about it is that I’ll never run out of things to write about!

Question 6 – Who or what or where are some of your inspirations? 

Answer 6 – I take inspiration primarily from my own life. I lost my mother when I was thirteen years old, so that experience has had a huge influence on how I interpret the world and situations specific to me. Besides that, one of my biggest inspirations is a dear friend of mine named Lee (@leealisha). She’s a fellow writer, and a phenomenal one at that. Our lives have eerie similarities and she’s a huge part of what inspired me to start writing in the first place. 

To find more of Sydney’s musical inspirations, click here to view her Spinnaker Radio Spotify playlist.