Mapmaking: Color and Contrast

I've been called emotional. And I'm okay with that.

Psychologist, Mary Pipher, says in her most recent book Seeking Peace, "To say that all
privileged people should feel nothing but joy is to assert that all people in dire circumstances should feel nothing but sorrow. While our lives may be different in many ways, our hearts are much alike. We experience the same ever-changing gamut of emotions. Indeed, it is the human condition to feel hope, fear, joy and sorrow. To deny anyone's right to a complete set of human reactions is to deny our common humanity."

In summary, people often feel like being strong and healthy means to not feel. But feeling is what connects us. When we feel, we are capable of knowing each other--not only in an intellectual, but also in a spiritual way.

...I like emotions. I think they add color to life.

While talking to my friend Kristen about Mapmaking, she made a really interesting comment about color:

Me: What's a mistake that a lot of mapmakers make?

Kristen: Many mapmakers try to put too much information on maps or use colors that are hard on the eyes or difficult to interpret. It's best to see an example. I've attached a bad map & a better map (I won't call it good since a map can always be made to look better).



Me: What are good color combinations?

Kristen: Pretty much everything looks better on a gray background. I rarely use black, always a very dark gray. The goal is to have maps that are readable & not overwhelming, so we generally pick lighter colors that show up easily on darker backgrounds.

I like the implications of Kristen's observations about color.

First, deep contrast helps makes the map clearer. Which is true of emotion. Ever meet someone who has a rain cloud following them around...or how about that I'm-so-happy-I-make-puppies-throw-up person. There's a lack of perspective when our emotions are only dark or only light. We see life clearer when we experience both sides of the spectrum. I think the Psalms are a good biblical example of this. There are expressions of both deep despair and incandescent joy.

Second, Kristen made the comment that "everything looks better on gray." One of the great revelations of my twenties is that life is not black and white. I have yet to find a secret universal formula for any situation. The harder I look for definite answers, the more turmoil I experience. The more I'm okay with the mystery of life, the more peace I find.

May you have a colorful week!