Chevalier drew on the lesson she learned while writing 'Girl with a Pearl Earring.' She noted how Vermeer's paintings take place in the same corner of the same room, depicting women doing simple daily tasks — pouring milk, reading a letter, trying on a necklace. X-rays have shown Vermeer originally painted more things in the background, then removed them, because having less makes what remains more significant. She applied this to life: travel light, don't become obsessed with consumerism and the pressure to buy. 'All those ads, on TV, on Facebook, on the subway, telling us to buy, buy, buy. Give me a freaking break.' She borrowed the phrase from architect Mies van der Rohe and encouraged graduates to strip away the unnecessary clutter.