Do you know that today is Blue Monday?
What does Blue Monday mean?
The name started in 2005 when Cliff Arnall, a then tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning Center, attached to Cardiff University, named the day. It caused negative publicity and the university eventually distanced itself from Arnall. But the name stuck and has been used subsequently as a marketing ploy by many organizations.
The term Blue Monday however is one that has been in use for a long time and is described by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a Monday that is depressing or trying especially because of the return to work and routine after a weekend”. I grew up on a farm, and can recall my dad saying “Dis ‘n regte blou Maandag” (Afrikaans for “It’s a real blue Monday”) on those Mondays that everything would go wrong!
An artist inspired by the day was Annie Lee; she painted Blue Monday in 1985 whilst living in Chicago. The painting depicts a “tired, faceless woman sitting on the edge of her bed about to start her workday”. This painting became the most mass produced painting of the artist.
I found another piece of art, also called Blue Monday, a watercolour and pencil illustration by PF Bennett. He must have really wanted to banish the day as there are 2 billboards/notices in the illustration saying “Goodbye Blue Monday”!
At Eternity's Gate, painted by Vicent van Gogh looks as if it could have been inspired by a blue Monday, but alas, no evidence of that.
What will I be doing on this Blue Monday?
Playing around with my blue paint pigments, dreaming up new card and painting ideas! Perhaps something inspired by neurographic art?
And dreaming of warmer and sunnier days, here and elsewhere!
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”