structure

Introduction
Theory:

• Philosophy
• ​Psychology

Inspiration: ​

• Erkan Özgen​: Wonderland (2016)

Creative writing exercises
​Stay grounded & motivated
​Share your text with us

introduction

Welcome to the School of Disobedience's online creative writing course, where we dive into the theme of absence. Absence touches every part of our lives—whether it’s the loss of loved ones or the gaps in our personal and collective histories. It influences how we experience the world, shape our memories, and form our identities.

In this course, we’ll explore absence not as a mere void, but as a significant force that affects our thoughts, emotions, and creativity. We’ll look at how absence can inspire stories and reveal our deepest fears and desires. Drawing from philosophical and psychological insights, we’ll examine how absence shapes our experiences and storytelling.

We’ll engage with Erkan Özgen's "Wonderland," a strong video that captures trauma through the silent expressions of a young boy. This work will help us understand how absence affects both individual and collective experiences of war and displacement.

theory

PHILOSOPHY

• Heidegger's being and time (Sein und Zeit): Being-toward-death 

Heidegger's concept of being-toward-death highlights the awareness of our own mortality. This awareness emphasizes the finite nature of our future, influencing how we find meaning in life despite the inevitability of death.

• Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialism: Nothingness (néant)

Sartre focuses on nothingness, asserting that life has no inherent meaning. Instead, individuals must create their own purpose in the face of this existential void.

• Jacques Derrida's deconstruction: Différance

​Derrida's concept of différance refers to the endless deferral of meaning in language. Absence plays a role in how meaning is constructed, as what is present in text or speech always implies what is absent, creating a space for interpretation and ambiguity.

• Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology: Embodiment and perception:

Merleau-Ponty examines how our perception is influenced by the presence or absence of sensory input. Understanding absence is key to how we perceive and interact with the world, affecting memory and expectation.

PSYCHOLOGY

• Object relations theory (Melanie Klein, D.W. Winnicott): Object permanence and loss:

This theory explores how early relationships with caregivers shape our understanding of absence and presence. The concept of object permanence (the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not seen) is crucial in the development of the self and in dealing with loss and separation.

• Attachment theory (John Bowlby, Mary Ainsworth): Separation anxiety and attachment styles:

Attachment theory examines how the presence or absence of secure attachment figures affects psychological development. The absence of consistent caregiving can lead to various attachment styles, impacting emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships.

• Grief and bereavement (Elisabeth Kübler-Ross): Stages of grief

The process of grieving the absence of a loved one is characterized by stages such as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Understanding these stages helps in comprehending the psychological impact of absence.

• Freudian psychoanalysis: Loss and melancholia:

Sigmund Freud's exploration of loss in "Mourning and Melancholia" delves into how the absence of a loved one or an ideal can lead to melancholia, a pathological state of prolonged grief and internal conflict.

• Memory and forgetting: Cognitive psychology of memory

​The absence of memory, or forgetting, plays a significant role in shaping identity and experience. Concepts like amnesia, repression, and the reconstruction of past events are central to understanding how absence affects psychological processes.

• Existential psychology (Viktor Frankl): Meaning and absence 

Existential psychology focuses on finding meaning in life, especially in the face of absence and suffering. Frankl's logotherapy emphasizes the human capacity to find purpose despite the absence of external sources of meaning.

inspiration

“Wonderland” (2016) by Erkan Özgen captures the theme of absence through its portrayal of war’s impact, specifically the Syrian conflict. The video features a young, mute boy whose gestures and expressions reveal the horrors he has endured. His silence highlights the absence of normalcy, safety, and peace in his life.
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The boy's inability to speak underscores the void left by violence—both the physical absence of loved ones and the emotional emptiness caused by trauma. Özgen’s work starkly contrasts the innocence of childhood with the brutal realities of war, making the profound absences created by such experiences deeply felt. Through this non-verbal communication, the piece invites viewers to reflect on the unspoken and unseen aspects of trauma.

creative exercise

This exercise invites you to delve into the theme of absence inspired by Erkan Özgen's video "Wonderland."

Instructions: You don't need to follow these steps in order, nor do you have to complete all of them. Select the one or two instructions that inspire you the most for your creative writing practice.

1. Watch "Wonderland" (Advised time frame: min. 10 min): Begin by watching Erkan Özgen's video "Wonderland," paying close attention to Mohammed's non-verbal expressions and the ways in which his body communicates his experiences. Reflect on the emotional impact of his gestures and the absence of spoken language.
2. Reflect on absence (Advised time frame: min. 15 min): Spend a few moments reflecting on what absence means to you. Consider the different forms it can take—absence of people, places, safety, language, understanding, or even memory. Think about how absence can be both a physical and emotional state.
3. Write a silent narrative (Advised time frame: min. 20 min): Inspired by Mohammed’s non-verbal storytelling, write a short narrative where the main character is unable to speak. Use only descriptions of body language, facial expressions, and actions to convey their story. Focus on what is absent in their life and how this absence shapes their experiences and interactions.
4. Describe an absent scene (Advised time frame: min. 20 min): Choose a significant place or person that is no longer present in your life. Write a vivid description of this absence. What emotions does this absence evoke? How does the absence manifest in the environment or in your daily routine? Use sensory details to bring the scene to life.
5. Dialogue with silence (Advised time frame: min. 20 min): Create a dialogue between two characters where they communicate without words. Explore how the absence of spoken language affects their relationship and the misunderstandings or deeper connections that arise from this form of communication.
6. Symbolic representation (Advised time frame: min. 15 min): Think of an object that symbolizes absence for you. Write a short piece describing this object and its significance. How does it embody the sense of absence? What memories or emotions does it evoke?
7. Imagining the inexpressible (Advised time frame: min. 20 min): Inspired by the idea that viewers must construct and imagine experiences from their own perspectives, write a piece where you describe a significant event from the point of view of an outsider. How does this outsider attempt to understand and make sense of the event? What do they get wrong? What do they grasp intuitively?
8. Reflective analysis (Advised time frame: min. 10 min): After completing your writing, reflect on the process. How did exploring absence through non-verbal communication and symbolic representation affect your understanding of the theme? How did this exercise challenge you to convey emotions and experiences in new ways?​

stay grounded and motivated!

"Absence, for me, is always linked to separation—the feeling of someone missing, someone who used to be here but isn’t anymore. Someone who left, but also left behind a trace, a memory, a space once shared. I’d like to share something personal with you about how I think of separation, absence, especially in the context of romantic relationships:

Just as the night follows the day, as the seasons change, as the moon waxes and wanes, and as our bodies move through hormonal cycles, humans—like nature and the universe—are built around periodicity. If the entire cosmos operates through cycles, why should we think of love any differently?

What would it change about the way we meet, connect, and part if we embraced a cyclical view of relationships rather than the linear, eternal model Western society often imposes on us? What if we didn’t marry “for life” but for a cycle? What if we came together not to “last” forever, but simply to walk a shared path for a time?
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And what if separation—whether through breakups or divorce—wasn’t seen as failure, but as an incredible opportunity for growth and renewal? What if, instead of fearing it, we welcomed and celebrated the moment of parting, just as we do the moment of union?

We are all like little moons—sometimes full, sometimes waning. And in each phase, there is beauty and possibility. Separation is not the end, but part of the natural rhythm of connection. It opens space for what comes next."

​​​​​—Anna Ádám
Founder of the School of Disobedience

Photo: Fortepan