Speaking in Color and Shape

I found things I could say with color and shapes that I couldn’t say in any other way…things I had no words for.

— Georgia O’Keeffe

Meaning
This quote shows how art can express feelings that are hard to explain with words. Georgia O’Keeffe is saying that colors and shapes helped her say things she couldn’t speak out loud. Sometimes, emotions or thoughts are too deep or confusing to put into sentences. Art gave her a way to show them anyway.

Literary Interpretation
The sentence flows like a quiet reflection. It uses plain words, but the meaning runs deep. The pause before “things I had no words for” hits hard—it shows the weight of what couldn’t be said. O’Keeffe’s choice to speak through color and form also pushes back against the idea that only words matter. She’s reminding us that art is a kind of language too.