Here in DC, we just survived a September that seemed to be the rainiest and cloudiest in a long time. I know we had that bizarre earthquake and over-hyped Hurricane Irene in late August, but honestly, the damp gloom of the past few weeks has been the absolute worst. My Marimekko umbrella, while pink and compact, has annoyingly become a permanent accessory—and as necessary to my daily commute as Purell. If I wanted Seattle weather, I would just live in Seattle! Rent would be slightly lower (right?). I’d be set up with an IV drip of espresso. And I would revel in Nordstrom nirvana. Aah, but I digress.

My real point is this: I fully believe that color has the power to affect how we feel. Many experts “agree that every color we encounter has some sort of psychological impact, whether it’s soothing our mood, exciting our appetite or rejuvenating our spirit.” Maybe that’s why vibrant Thai food is so wonderfully satisfying:

Yummy Thai food for your tummy: yum mama talae, a mixed seafood salad

Anyway, as an antidote to my emotional slump induced by incessantly overcast skies, I improvised a little color therapy. I went through my apartment, collected a bunch of eye-catching artifacts and arranged them in a simple composition:

Clockwise from top left: Hirshhorn Museum program, Virgo button from Opening Ceremony, “Ni Hao” notecard, Moleskine notebook, cheongsam-printed notecard, another Moleskine notebook, Time Will Tell watch

A colorful close-up

Did it work? Was I smiling again? Through the process and the final product, I got a jolt of Technicolor after living in gray for days. I felt cheery again. It’s sort of like how light therapy helps to alleviate seasonal affective disorder, but in my case, being exposed to visible light’s spectral plus non-spectral colors is key.

So I’m gonna wear a bright yellow cardigan, eat some more larb gai and be on my merry way. And guess what? Tomorrow’s forecast calls for sun!