As I write this Creative Nudge newsletter, I have just finished my stay at the Color Marketing Group Fall conference in Portland, OR.

People always ask me after this conference – What is the "hot color" right now?

I always have to smile at this question, because there are always so many trendy colors, so many important color combinations, and also so many beloved colors that are "trending down" in the industry, despite the fact that some people are just now starting to see these trends.

Depending on where you live and shop, you may see a hot color before it officially becomes a trend, or you may have to wait 2-3 years before it appears in your local stores. Remember when Brown and Pink came out in combination, as a trendy duo? Then came Brown and Aqua? Many of us had a negative reaction at first, but they grew on us, and those combinations are still strong sellers in some areas.

So the real color trend story these days is about combinations of colors, not an individual color. Some markets want safe, familiar color combinations. Other more contemporary markets jump on unusual color combinations that appear jolting at first, but are actually very exciting and provocative (in a good way!) if you look at them a few times.

An example of this would be the color trend of combining soft dusty colors, with highly saturated brights. Unexpected color combinations are driving sales of new contemporary fabrics. Those of us who always crave something new, have our color antennae out for new ways to mix and match (and shock!) through the use of color.

After spending the whole weekend looking at colors, I decided to make some art from some floral photos I took here in Portland. There is nothing like hanging out with a bunch of creative color freaks, to bring out the curious and experimental artist within…