Do You Have Synesthesia?

As AMAZING as it was to view

Sharon Schamber's quilts during 

the trunk show/ lecture last Saturday,

I was equally intrigued to listen to her

speak about aspects of her life.

 As quilts were being held up for display, Sharon  began the lecture

by telling us about her

"4 conditions"

that have provided many personal challenges.

Yesterday I told you about  her

Hyper Focus

 Another occurrence that has had great impact upon Sharon's life

is a neurological condition called

Synesthesia

 Synesthesia is a condition in which "the stimulus of one sensory

leads to an automatic or involuntary experience 

in a second sensory."

For many people a number is just a number on a page.

But for people with synesthesia, they might automatically

experience a number also as a color, smell or sound.

 A common form is called Color Synesthesia

where letters or numbers are perceived as

inherently colored.

 This was a new concept to me!

But, as Sharon explained her condition,

immediately the woman sitting across from me

stated in a matter of fact way

 "Oh yes.  The number 5 is green."

 As with all conditions, there are many spectrums,

and Sharon felt most quilters experience

Synesthesia even if only on a small scale. 

 She asked 

"Do you have a certain color that you just love? Or

do you have a color that you just don't like at all?"

 All colors have vibrations

and often influence our emotions.

 So I ask you,

do you have 

Synesthesia?

 I came home and talked to Mr. Cactus about what I had learned.

 We looked up the definition in Wikipedia 

HERE

 There is a number form of Synesthesia

where numbers, months of the years, or days of the week

have a location in space

or a 3-Dementional view.

For example, the date 1980 might look

"farther away" than 1990.

 As we read the definitions, Mr. Cactus looked at me and said

"Of course.  A calendar year is a circle that goes counter clockwise

with higher points like January 1st. And then as you zoom in on a number

the patterns zig zag and have angles."

 I looked at him stunned.

We have been married for quite a long time,

and I knew he was very good with numbers.

But, I did not realize that we "saw" them differently.

For me a number looks just like a flat black one dimensional 3 or 4 on a page.

As an artist, Sharon Schamber's Synesthesia greatly 

contributes in her creative ability when making quilts.

Many great artists talk of their Synesthesia.

See Wikipedia list HERE

Did you know that when John Mayer

 hears music he sees colors?