1. String[] input;
2. 
   
3. try {
4.       input = loadStrings(System.getProperty("user.home") + "/Paint Files/" + "ccSave.txt");
5.     } catch (NullPointerException input) {
6.       saveColors();
7.       input = loadStrings(System.getProperty("user.home") + "/Paint Files/" + "ccSave.txt");
8.     }

1. String[] input;
2. 
   
3. try {
4.       println ("mark 1");
   
5.       input = loadStrings(System.getProperty("user.home") + "/Paint Files/" + "ccSave.txt");
6.       println ("mark 2");
7.     } catch (NullPointerException input) {
8.       println ("mark 3");
9.       saveColors();
10.       println ("mark 4");
11.       input = loadStrings(System.getProperty("user.home") + "/Paint Files/" + "ccSave.txt");
12.       println ("mark 5");
13.     }

1. } catch (IOException e) {

because the error message 

cannot convert from String[] to NullPointerException

sounds as if it is complaining about you using input with NullPointerException, right?

see

http://www.processing.org/reference/try.html

cannot convert from String[] to IOException 

mark 1

mark 2 The file "/Users/Andrew/Paint Files/ccSave.txt" is missing or inaccessible, make sure the URL is valid or that the file has been added to your sketch and is readable.

null

------

Exception in thread "Animation Thread" java.lang.NullPointerException

at Custom_Color_Class$customColor.loadColors(Custom_Color_Class.java:252)

at Custom_Color_Class$customColor.run(Custom_Color_Class.java:43)

at Custom_Color_Class.draw(Custom_Color_Class.java:442)

at processing.core.PApplet.handleDraw(PApplet.java:1977)

at processing.core.PGraphicsJava2D.requestDraw(PGraphicsJava2D.java:187)

at processing.core.PApplet.run(PApplet.java:1855)

at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:680)

1. void loadColors() {
     input = loadStrings(path);
     if (input == null) {
       saveColors();
       input = loadStrings(path);
     }
   }
   

1. String[] input;
   String path;
   int[] customColors = {
     0xff0000, 0x00ff00, 0x0000ff
   };
   
   void setup() {
     path = System.getProperty("user.home") + "/Paint Files/" + "ccSave.txt";
     loadColors();
   }
   
   void loadColors() {
     // try to load file
     input = loadStrings(path);
   
     // if file exists, put loaded values into an array
     if (input != null) {
       customColors = new int[0];
       for (int i = 0; i < input.length; i++) {
         customColors = append(customColors, int(input[i]));
       }
     }
     // otherwise save new file
     else {
       println("no custom file yet, creating one");
       saveColors();
       input = loadStrings(path);
     }
   
     println(customColors);
   }
   
   void saveColors() {
     saveStrings(path, str(customColors));
   }
   

1. String[] input;
2. try {
3.       input = loadStrings(System.getProperty("user.home") + "/Paint Files/" + "ccSave.txt");
4.     } catch (NullPointerException input) {
5.       saveColors();
6.       input = loadStrings(System.getProperty("user.home") + "/Paint Files/" + "ccSave.txt");
7.     }