Constructing “Georgia”: Love, Play, Work as a Central Theme in O’Keefee’s Early and Late Memories

Abstract

The present case study of American painter Georgia O’Keeffe, adopts the notion of “narrative construction of self” as its psychobiography lens and explores its link to life themes identified in early and late autobiographical memories. O’Keeffe’s three earliest memories, which literally constitute the beginning episodes of her autobiography published by her at age 89 underwent narrative thematic analysis. These were then compared with the three concluding episodes of the same autobiography revealing a life theme running across all memories. This theme had three intertwined aspects: “love, “play” and “work”. In general, Georgia O’Keeffe constructed herself as having continuity and directionality (“play”/exploring, “work”/creating), but also change and development (“love”/relating). The last aspect (“love”) appeared to reflect an enduring concern and became the subject of further analysis. Theme development in memories reflects a continuous effort for narratively constructing a self that makes satisfactory meaning. Further theoretical implications of findings are discussed in connection to positive psychology. Some clinical implications are suggested with emphasis placed in treating persons as “works in progress”.