Sullivan believed that the artist is a force that draws inspiration from nature and gives formless things a form. This process transforms rigid geometries into awakened shapes that bring the vitality of nature into human environments. Inviting nature into society was important to Sullivan because he believed that when we realized our place and relationship with nature we also understood our place with each other in a Democratic society.

The awakening process of transforming geometry into organic form is based on the growth of a plant. Sullivan referenced books like Gray's School and Field Book of Botany, which described plant growth as a linear process beginning at the sprouting of a seed. The image to the left shows Sullivan's drawing of the seed germ motif among other drawings of organic form. The sprouting motion of the seed germ, combined with leaves, fruits, and flowers, became the basis for how Sullivan drew the awakening motion of shape.