As the promise of spring visits us here in New England with the occasional respite of a warm-weather day, the fresh air reminds me that the first blooms will come up in the garden before we know it. The delicate grape hyacinth with its bold cluster of violet will poke its head from the soggy ground. The tangle of purple wisteria will begin to appear in the woven branches of the trees it’s intertwined with. The fragrant lilacs will burst onto the scene in heaps of floral glory. And not far behind, the abundance of lavender spray will brush our legs as we walk down garden paths, while the giant allium produce the wonder felt in childhood. This joy and promise of all things new are celebrated in 2018’s Pantone Color of the Year, Ultra Violet.

Shades of violet are considered to be thoughtful colors that communicate intuition and promise. Contemplative in nature, ultra violet is celebrated as a color that inspires the imagination and encourages the visionary within us. At once nuanced and bold, the quality of ultra violet speaks to the unique presence of creativity, carrying with it a mystical essence and one of other-level discovery.

The Pantone Color Institute is onto something with this shade as we begin our year in a world that could use as much contemplative consideration as its citizens can muster. There is a reflective sense of depth to this color that invokes an excitement and a boldness to create something meaningful that can be shared within communities—visionary art that aims to forge connections and inspire mindfulness.