Howland seeks to recreate the archetype of the female artist/academic/intellectual as a positive icon without a major association to neurosis, mental illness, and romantic love. She seeks to reinterpret the autobiographical narrative and present a new position for these women within the pop culture canon. Her work aims to dismantle the notion of romanticized pain and female hysteria while creating and maintaining an elevated position and renewed reputation for female artists as women who are powerful, creative, and influential.