I lived in New Mexico until I was seventeen, and honestly I've been homesick ever since I left.

Liza Campbell

Categorized in : Mexico Honestly Homesick

When I finished the book [The Dissemblers], I sent it to one billion agents, and got one billion rejections.

agents rejection book

I did take one drawing class in school, but for this book I spent a lot of time talking to painters and asking them silly questions.

silly book school

I am a tragically bad artist.

artist

Now I am as big of an [ Georgia] O'Keeffe admirer as Ivy [Wilkes] is, but that came through writing the book.

ivy writing book

Writing a book set in New Mexico was partially a way to express my own love for the state, and partially a way to prudently follow the advice to write what you know.

writing advice book

I started writing about New Mexico in an autobiography class I was taking for school, and realized that it was very inspiring place for me.

writing class school

I was at an art museum with my parents, and was quite taken with a [Vincent] Van Gogh painting. I stood admiring the painting for some time, and then realized that in addition to feeling moved by the beauty of the painting, I felt a little jealous of the painter.

jealous taken art

I was envious of [Vincent] Van Gogh because I could never make a painting that beautiful! (Ridiculous, I know.) That was when the character of Ivy [Wilkes] began to take shape for me.

ivy beautiful character

[Ivy Wilkes] loves [Georgia] O'Keeffe's work, but is not satisfied by just looking at the paintings; she wants the painting to be her own. The plot grew naturally out of Ivy's personality (and flaws).

georgia-o-keeffe ivy personality

I do think that it is one of the eternal questions about art, though - is all art intrinsically selfish?

selfish art thinking

Does art play a role in the greater good of society, or does it just promote the satisfaction of the artist? I go back and forth on that question.

doe play art

Because Ivy [Wilkes] is just starting out as an artist, I wanted to focus on [Georgia] O'Keeffe's experiences when she was just starting out. I suspect there is a difference between being an unknown artist and being a celebrated artist. When nobody knows your work, nobody except you really cares whether or not you paint.

differences ivy artist

The motivation to paint seems more pure, or at least more personal, when the artist is doing it for herself.

paint motivation artist

I've spent many a day worrying that I will never be able to write again!

able worry writing

I was only loosely aware of [Georgia] O'Keeffe's work. Primarily, I had seen her famous paintings of skulls with flowers, which are not my favorite. I didn't really become familiar with her work until after I started writing the book, but the more I learned about her the more I admired her.

flower writing book