What colour is your February?

Ever since I can remember, I’ve associated letters, numbers and words with colours. For example, the letter “A” is red (and so is the name Anne). Sometimes the word is coloured by the first letter, but not always. For example “F” is a dark green, but February is a light blue. I thought this was “normal” and that everyone’s words were colours. Until I was a little older and began asking others what colours their letters or words were…

I’d say, “What colour is your February?” And they’d look at me blankly.

A few years ago I discovered from a friend and fellow artist that it’s actually a “neurological condition” called synesthesia (which means “union of the senses”). Synesthesia can involve any of the senses but the most common is “seeing” letters and numbers as colours. This is called Grapheme-Colour Synesthesia. I also have Spatial Sequence Synesthesia (experiencing time, numbers and dates as if it's a on a giant clock outside of my body). The hypothesis is that in synesthetes, there is a cross-wiring in the brain so that neurons and synapses that are supposed to be contained in one sensory system, cross over to another system.

Apparently synesthesia is more common among artists. I know three other synesthetes and all are artists. I’m sure I know more, it’s just not something normally discussed (unless you are an artist!).

I’ve always loved playing with colour. As an artist it’s a big part of my expression. Perhaps synesthesia is like having another sense… a 6th sense… I can’t imagine not having this "condition". And it certainly adds to my world of colour…

I’d love to know… Are you a synesthete? What colour is your February?