Blue and Yellow
March 12th, 2025
Photo Cred: Natalia James
Writer: Ryan Carter
Editor: Liv Bennis
Compliments are among the most meaningful gifts a person can receive. When walking down the street and someone praises your outfit or comments on your hair, you feel fulfilled. Interestingly, compliments also have a place in economic terms. For instance, when selling a journal or pad of paper, a company is likely to sell a pen along with it, understanding that one complements the other. Similarly, the concept of 'complementary' exists in the world of color. When looking at the color wheel, the two colors on opposite sides of the wheel look so dramatically different, yet when paired, create the most harmonious and balanced effect.
The color wheel has always been a bit challenging for me to grasp, due to the different primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, and the various rules of complementary combinations. For example, yellow and green don't pair that well, but yellow and blue—these two colors complement each other perfectly. Although they are so vibrantly different, the rich, entrancing blue works beautifully with the bright, energetic yellow. In my opinion, blue and yellow are the best complementary colors–not only because of their striking contrast but because they show up so often in our everyday lives, making their combination even more powerful.
When I hear the words “Blue and Yellow”, countless images come to mind. I picture the bright sunset over the glistening ocean, the contrast between winter and summer, and even childhood memories like Waterboy and Lava Girl. But I think most people would agree with me on how these words blue and yellow evoke the image of one place: the University of Michigan. Blue and Yellow are prominent everywhere and whenever I think of these two colors, it elicits an emotional response. As I say goodbye to the sun that lit up the sky, I feel a sense of calmness wash over me, like being embraced by the peaceful blue water. And during a maize-out sports game, I can’t help but get energized and smile while watching the sea of yellow jump with joy when the Wolverines score. The two colors surround us every day, whether we realize it or not, and that is because you can’t live in a life of yellow without experiencing the blue.
Reflecting on all the times I felt sad and depressed, I realize that those times felt long and miserable. I would sit in my room feeling like the cycle might never end, but then something small and meaningful would happen. Either my mom would buy me my favorite snack, my friends would randomly text me, or I would just have a better day than normal, and because I was sad before, it made those moments even more memorable. That’s when I realized the importance of this mindset: you can’t live a life of yellow without the blue. Like the ocean and sun, winter and summer, night and day, you have to experience the extremes of both emotions to truly appreciate the other.
This idea, while hard to imagine when you are struggling, is one of the best lessons I have learned in life. Instead of moping when something goes wrong, I imagine the ocean and how beautiful it is when the sun sets and the moon lights up the sea; appreciating the beauty even when things seem ugly. I visualize winter snowball fights and cold movie nights snuggled up with loved ones, and I imagine all the blue merch I have for Michigan. So yes, there is blue in all of our lives, yet that doesn’t mean life is only blue. Learning to appreciate the calm allows you to feel more excitement when the bright yellow moments come. So next time you are sad, remember that the vibrant moments will return—just like the sun rising after the night. You will feel yellow again, and when you do, it will be just that much sweeter because of the acceptance of the calm you embraced in the blue.
