Georgia Totto O’Keeffe, born on November 15, 1887, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was a groundbreaking American artist celebrated for her modernist paintings of flowers, landscapes, and urban scenes. Over her prolific career, she achieved iconic status, including being the first woman to have a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1946, and her work influenced generations with its bold use of color and form. O’Keeffe’s quotes, drawn from interviews, books, and personal writings, offer deep insights into her philosophy on life, creativity, and the human experience. This collection focuses on her thoughts about life, sourced from various reliable outlets. Below is a list of 15 curated quotes that illuminate her perspective.
15 Georgia O’Keeffe Quotes
1. “I have been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I have never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” (Interview, Life Magazine, 1962)
2. “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.” (Book, “Georgia O’Keeffe,” 1976)
3. “I think it’s so foolish for people to want to be happy. Happy is so momentary—you’re happy for an instant and then you start thinking again. Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous.” (Interview, The New Yorker, 1977)
4. “Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.” (Interview, PBS, 1977)
5. “I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty.” (Book, “Georgia O’Keeffe by Georgia O’Keeffe,” 1976)
6. “The days you work are the best days.” (Interview, n.d.)
7. “I feel there is something unexplored about woman that only a woman can explore.” (Interview, The New York Times, 1976)
8. “Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.” (Book, “Georgia O’Keeffe,” 1976)
9. “I have done nothing all my life but go from one place to another.” (Autobiographical notes, n.d.)
10. “It’s not enough to be nice in life. You’ve got to have nerve.” (Interview, 1970s, source unspecified)
11. “The abstraction is often the most definite form for the intangible thing in myself that I can only clarify in paint.” (Book, “Georgia O’Keeffe,” 1976)
12. “I wish people were all trees and I think I could enjoy them then.” (Interview, 1977)
13. “My pleasure has always been in working.” (Book, “Georgia O’Keeffe by Georgia O’Keeffe,” 1976)
14. “I am myself and my own experiment.” (Interview, n.d.)
15. “Life is the most exciting thing there is—painting is just a way of recording it.” (Attributed writings, n.d.)
Through these quotes, Georgia O’Keeffe emerges as a figure of quiet strength and profound insight, revealing a life philosophy centered on courage, observation, and the enduring pursuit of interest over superficial happiness. Her words encourage embracing fear, finding beauty in simplicity, and living authentically through creativity. They remind us that true fulfillment comes from engagement with the world. What resonates with you from her wisdom? Share your thoughts and favorite quotes in the comments below.