'Make It Big Enough to Feel' — Lessons from Georgia O'Keeffe

“Nobody sees a flower — really — it is so small it takes time. We haven’t time, and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.” — Georgia O’Keeffe

“To see takes time…”

Georgia O’Keeffe’s words and art beg us to slow down and really see. We so often view things with cursory glances, given our modern habituation with smartphones and the digital world. Slowing down enhances the quality of our lives — it evokes élan vital, a French term that means a spirited energy of life. And for myself, I can’t access this élan vital when there are so many seductive shiny objects (and family members) vying for my attention. I need to make art, and do it in small bites with heaps of inspiration to remain curious. Walking in the footsteps of Georgia O’Keeffe gives me joyful and useful tools to access élan vital — that spirited energy of life.

As an art teacher for many years, I get to preview and try out art lessons before my classes — which always reminds me to be the learner first.

Join me in this easy and joyful exploration of “Make It Big Enough to Feel,” inspired by O’Keeffe’s gorgeous flowers.

The exercise

Step 1. Choose a small natural object.

Step 2. Ask yourself: What attracts me to this object?

Example: I love the busyness of the petals jammed in toward the center. I love the strong orange and yellow colors. I am interested in the yellow mini‑flower shapes toward the center.

Step 3. Snap a photo of the object. Remember to go big — isolate a part of a flower, or zoom in to see the details of your object.

Step 4. Sketch or paint the object, using the photo or object as reference. Use what you have — grab a pen and notebook paper, a watercolor set, anything else — and “blow up” the object so that you are trying to draw it big enough to not worry about it looking realistic. If you have markers, crayons, or paints, paint colors in — but only if this brings you calmness and joy. This is about seeing, not a skill‑in‑drawing exercise.

Step 5. Look at your drawing or painting. What does the visual image you created make you think or feel? Do not ask yourself if it’s good, or if it reminds you of Georgia O’Keeffe.

That’s it. Make It Big Enough to Feel.

Students tell me this is both a hard and wonderful mini‑creative exercise to try.

Love, Eliz