creative writing school
Module 4: Unknown & Unexpected
structure
Introduction
Theory
Inspirations
Creative writing exercises
Stay grounded & motivated
Share your text with us
Theory
Inspirations
Creative writing exercises
Stay grounded & motivated
Share your text with us
introduction
Welcome to our lesson on Madness & Unreason in the School of Disobedience’s Online Creative Writing Course. This lesson invites you to grapple with the tension between societal constructs of sanity and the creative liberation found in unreason. Through theory, inspiration, and practice, we’ll explore how the rejection of normative boundaries can become a generative force in your writing.
We’ll begin by delving into Michel Foucault’s seminal work, Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason (1961), to frame our understanding of how madness has been shaped, suppressed, and instrumentalized across history. From there, we’ll draw inspiration from the life and performances of Valeska Gert, whose avant-garde artistry defied conventional categorization. Finally, you’ll engage in a creative exercise to translate these ideas into your own writing, followed by reflections on staying grounded and motivated when working with themes as destabilizing as madness and unreason.
We’ll begin by delving into Michel Foucault’s seminal work, Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason (1961), to frame our understanding of how madness has been shaped, suppressed, and instrumentalized across history. From there, we’ll draw inspiration from the life and performances of Valeska Gert, whose avant-garde artistry defied conventional categorization. Finally, you’ll engage in a creative exercise to translate these ideas into your own writing, followed by reflections on staying grounded and motivated when working with themes as destabilizing as madness and unreason.
theory
Foucault’s Madness and Civilization offers a critical genealogy of madness in Western society, tracing how its meaning and treatment have evolved under the influence of institutional power. Madness, as Foucault posits, is not an innate condition but a construct shaped by cultural, political, and economic forces.
He examines the medieval conflation of madness with wisdom, where the "madman" often occupied a liminal space—feared yet revered for his proximity to divine or esoteric truths. This shifted during the Renaissance, epitomized by Bosch’s Ship of Fools, where madness became symbolic of humanity’s inherent fallibility. The Enlightenment, however, marked a decisive turn. With reason elevated as the supreme virtue, madness was redefined as deviation—a threat to societal order. Institutions like the asylum emerged, not as places of care but as mechanisms of exclusion, confining the mad alongside criminals and the poor.
Foucault’s critique is not simply historical; it is a call to recognize how these practices persist in contemporary culture. Madness is still othered, medicalized, or co-opted, its subversive potential neutralized by systems of control. For writers, this raises profound questions: How do we depict madness without reducing it to pathology? How can we use it as a lens to critique the boundaries of normalcy, reason, and power?
He examines the medieval conflation of madness with wisdom, where the "madman" often occupied a liminal space—feared yet revered for his proximity to divine or esoteric truths. This shifted during the Renaissance, epitomized by Bosch’s Ship of Fools, where madness became symbolic of humanity’s inherent fallibility. The Enlightenment, however, marked a decisive turn. With reason elevated as the supreme virtue, madness was redefined as deviation—a threat to societal order. Institutions like the asylum emerged, not as places of care but as mechanisms of exclusion, confining the mad alongside criminals and the poor.
Foucault’s critique is not simply historical; it is a call to recognize how these practices persist in contemporary culture. Madness is still othered, medicalized, or co-opted, its subversive potential neutralized by systems of control. For writers, this raises profound questions: How do we depict madness without reducing it to pathology? How can we use it as a lens to critique the boundaries of normalcy, reason, and power?
inspiration
Valeska Gert (1892–1978) was a German dancer, actress, and performance artist whose work embodies the radical possibilities of embracing unreason. She performed during a time of extreme upheaval—Weimar Germany—and her art reflected the fractured, chaotic spirit of her era.
Gert’s performances were often grotesque and disjointed, rejecting the traditional grace of ballet in favor of exaggerated movements and distorted expressions. She caricatured societal archetypes—the prostitute, the mourner, the bored housewife—turning them into surreal, almost absurdist commentaries. Her piece Pause (1927), for instance, was not a dance in the traditional sense but a physical interpretation of the awkward, overlooked moments of stillness in life.
What makes Gert particularly resonant in this context is her rejection of coherence. Her performances did not seek to explain or comfort but to provoke and disorient, forcing audiences to confront the absurdity of the world. Her work challenges writers to embrace fragmentation, to step into the uncanny, and to explore the contradictions that make us human.
Gert’s performances were often grotesque and disjointed, rejecting the traditional grace of ballet in favor of exaggerated movements and distorted expressions. She caricatured societal archetypes—the prostitute, the mourner, the bored housewife—turning them into surreal, almost absurdist commentaries. Her piece Pause (1927), for instance, was not a dance in the traditional sense but a physical interpretation of the awkward, overlooked moments of stillness in life.
What makes Gert particularly resonant in this context is her rejection of coherence. Her performances did not seek to explain or comfort but to provoke and disorient, forcing audiences to confront the absurdity of the world. Her work challenges writers to embrace fragmentation, to step into the uncanny, and to explore the contradictions that make us human.
creative exercises
I. EXERCISE OF VISUALIZATION
1. Find a comfortable and quiet space where you can engage in visualization, introspection and creative expression. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths, allowing yourself to relax and let go of any preconceived notions of logic and rationality.
2. Imagine yourself standing at the edge of a vast abyss, symbolizing the unknown depths of madness and unreason. Feel the pull of curiosity and intrigue drawing you towards the abyss, inviting you to explore its mysteries.
3. As you peer into the abyss, allow your mind to wander freely, relinquishing control and surrendering to the chaos of the unknown. Embrace the uncertainty and ambiguity that lies beyond the bounds of reason, welcoming the opportunity for creative exploration.
4. Begin to deconstruct the constructs of logic and rationality that have confined your thinking, allowing your imagination to run wild and unfettered. Write, draw, or engage in any form of creative expression that captures the essence of madness and unreason, challenging conventional notions of reality.
5. Explore the contradictions and paradoxes that emerge as you delve deeper into the realm of madness and unreason. Embrace the inherent chaos and complexity of the human psyche, allowing yourself to traverse the murky waters of irrationality with courage and curiosity.
6. As you navigate through the labyrinth of your own mind, encounter the fragments of thought and emotion that defy rational explanation. Embrace these fragments as windows into the hidden recesses of the human experience, where madness and unreason hold sway over logic and order.
7. Allow yourself to become fully immersed in the creative process, surrendering to the whims of inspiration and intuition. Let go of the need for structure and coherence, embracing the inherent messiness of creativity as you explore the depths of madness and unreason.
8. Reflect on your journey and the insights you have gained about the nature of madness and unreason. Consider how these insights challenge your understanding of reality and open new pathways for exploration and discovery.
II. CREATIVE WRITING
Title: "Journey into the parallel world: a travel diary of madness and unreason"
1. Begin by imagining yourself standing on the edge of a vast, otherworldly landscape, where the boundaries between logic and irrationality blur. Take a moment to observe the scenery from a macro perspective, noting the surreal and dreamlike qualities of the environment.
2. As you embark on your journey, start writing your travel diary entry, describing the landscape in vivid detail. Use sensory language to capture the sights, sounds, and sensations of this parallel world, allowing your imagination to roam freely.
3. Slowly zoom in on specific elements of the landscape, focusing on the details that catch your attention. Notice how the familiar becomes distorted and abstract as you get closer, with shapes morphing and colors blending together in unexpected ways.
4. As you continue to zoom in, allow your descriptions to become more abstract and surreal, reflecting the disorienting nature of madness and unreason. Explore the boundaries between reality and illusion, reason and chaos, as you delve deeper into this strange and enigmatic realm.
5. Embrace the uncertainty and ambiguity of the journey, allowing yourself to surrender to the unpredictable twists and turns of the landscape. Write freely and intuitively, following the flow of your thoughts and emotions as they guide you through this surreal landscape.
6. As you reach the micro level of the landscape, notice how the concrete details dissolve into abstraction, leaving you immersed in a world of pure sensation and emotion. Allow yourself to experience the full intensity of this moment, capturing it in your writing with raw honesty and vulnerability.
1. Find a comfortable and quiet space where you can engage in visualization, introspection and creative expression. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths, allowing yourself to relax and let go of any preconceived notions of logic and rationality.
2. Imagine yourself standing at the edge of a vast abyss, symbolizing the unknown depths of madness and unreason. Feel the pull of curiosity and intrigue drawing you towards the abyss, inviting you to explore its mysteries.
3. As you peer into the abyss, allow your mind to wander freely, relinquishing control and surrendering to the chaos of the unknown. Embrace the uncertainty and ambiguity that lies beyond the bounds of reason, welcoming the opportunity for creative exploration.
4. Begin to deconstruct the constructs of logic and rationality that have confined your thinking, allowing your imagination to run wild and unfettered. Write, draw, or engage in any form of creative expression that captures the essence of madness and unreason, challenging conventional notions of reality.
5. Explore the contradictions and paradoxes that emerge as you delve deeper into the realm of madness and unreason. Embrace the inherent chaos and complexity of the human psyche, allowing yourself to traverse the murky waters of irrationality with courage and curiosity.
6. As you navigate through the labyrinth of your own mind, encounter the fragments of thought and emotion that defy rational explanation. Embrace these fragments as windows into the hidden recesses of the human experience, where madness and unreason hold sway over logic and order.
7. Allow yourself to become fully immersed in the creative process, surrendering to the whims of inspiration and intuition. Let go of the need for structure and coherence, embracing the inherent messiness of creativity as you explore the depths of madness and unreason.
8. Reflect on your journey and the insights you have gained about the nature of madness and unreason. Consider how these insights challenge your understanding of reality and open new pathways for exploration and discovery.
II. CREATIVE WRITING
Title: "Journey into the parallel world: a travel diary of madness and unreason"
1. Begin by imagining yourself standing on the edge of a vast, otherworldly landscape, where the boundaries between logic and irrationality blur. Take a moment to observe the scenery from a macro perspective, noting the surreal and dreamlike qualities of the environment.
2. As you embark on your journey, start writing your travel diary entry, describing the landscape in vivid detail. Use sensory language to capture the sights, sounds, and sensations of this parallel world, allowing your imagination to roam freely.
3. Slowly zoom in on specific elements of the landscape, focusing on the details that catch your attention. Notice how the familiar becomes distorted and abstract as you get closer, with shapes morphing and colors blending together in unexpected ways.
4. As you continue to zoom in, allow your descriptions to become more abstract and surreal, reflecting the disorienting nature of madness and unreason. Explore the boundaries between reality and illusion, reason and chaos, as you delve deeper into this strange and enigmatic realm.
5. Embrace the uncertainty and ambiguity of the journey, allowing yourself to surrender to the unpredictable twists and turns of the landscape. Write freely and intuitively, following the flow of your thoughts and emotions as they guide you through this surreal landscape.
6. As you reach the micro level of the landscape, notice how the concrete details dissolve into abstraction, leaving you immersed in a world of pure sensation and emotion. Allow yourself to experience the full intensity of this moment, capturing it in your writing with raw honesty and vulnerability.
stay grounded and motivated!
"We are not always logical beings, yet we live in a world that often demands logic as the highest form of understanding. This insistence on finding logical explanations for everything—from our emotions to our seemingly irrational actions—can become a draining, relentless pursuit. Why do we feel the need to justify every feeling, to rationalize every impulse? Perhaps it stems from centuries of intellectual traditions, like Cartesian dualism, that elevated reason above all else, dividing mind from body, thought from emotion, and rationality from instinct.
But what if we paused this endless translation of the illogical into the logical? What might we uncover if we allowed ourselves to sit with emotions or actions without the compulsion to dissect them? Consider this: not every feeling needs an origin story, not every act needs to be mapped to a cause. By accepting that some parts of human experience resist explanation, we might free ourselves from the tyranny of over-analysis. We could reclaim energy spent in this futile exercise and redirect it toward creativity, connection, or simply being.
This is not an argument against reason, but rather an invitation to balance it with acceptance of the unreasoned. Madness and unreason, after all, are not aberrations—they are integral to the human condition, offering perspectives that challenge and expand our understanding of the world. Can we find value in what seems chaotic? Can we trust the insights that arise when logic falters?
Staying grounded in this exploration requires humility: the willingness to admit that we do not—and cannot—understand everything. Staying motivated requires courage: the resolve to engage with the uncomfortable, the inexplicable, and the raw. Let this be a reminder that even in the absence of reason, there is depth, meaning, and a space for creativity to flourish."
—Anna Ádám
Founder of the School of Disobedience
But what if we paused this endless translation of the illogical into the logical? What might we uncover if we allowed ourselves to sit with emotions or actions without the compulsion to dissect them? Consider this: not every feeling needs an origin story, not every act needs to be mapped to a cause. By accepting that some parts of human experience resist explanation, we might free ourselves from the tyranny of over-analysis. We could reclaim energy spent in this futile exercise and redirect it toward creativity, connection, or simply being.
This is not an argument against reason, but rather an invitation to balance it with acceptance of the unreasoned. Madness and unreason, after all, are not aberrations—they are integral to the human condition, offering perspectives that challenge and expand our understanding of the world. Can we find value in what seems chaotic? Can we trust the insights that arise when logic falters?
Staying grounded in this exploration requires humility: the willingness to admit that we do not—and cannot—understand everything. Staying motivated requires courage: the resolve to engage with the uncomfortable, the inexplicable, and the raw. Let this be a reminder that even in the absence of reason, there is depth, meaning, and a space for creativity to flourish."
—Anna Ádám
Founder of the School of Disobedience
Photo: Valeska Gert in Rio (1939)