confusion is gorgeous

Active confusion

Confusion, often perceived as a cognitive obstacle, is a state of disorientation, uncertainty, or lack of immediate comprehension.

It emerges when existing knowledge structures fail to accommodate new or conflicting information, leading to a gap in understanding.

This confusion can manifest in various forms—semantic ambiguity, perceptual distortion, conceptual contradiction—but at its core, confusion disrupts familiarity, forcing an individual into a state of heightened cognitive engagement.

Confusion aligns with uncertainty, where conventional frameworks fail to provide sufficient explanation.

Rather than being a mere absence of clarity, confusion is an active state—one that signals an opportunity for deeper inquiry.

This disorientation is not a flaw to be eliminated but a condition to be embraced, as it unsettles preconceived notions and demands new perspectives.

Confusion as a permanent state

I am confused.

Most of the time.

For me, confusion is a persistent state, shaping cognition, perception, and creative processes. It is an ongoing experience that opens a constant creative flow and offers an alternative perspective on the world, even while impeding clear comprehension. Confusion has become an embedded mode of thinking, rather than a simple state of being.

It is contradictory in that confusion fosters greater creativity but diminishes comprehension. A state of prolonged confusion is liminal, existing between clarity and chaos, constantly shifting yet never fully resolving.

This state prevents closure: questions of identity, memory, and speculative futures often remain unresolved, placing individuals in a continuous state of epistemic flux.

Confusion possesses the capacity to disrupt certainty, challenge assumptions, and generate unexpected insights, thereby repositioning itself as a form of creative and intellectual liberation rather than mere cognitive disarray.

“C” is for Confusion AND Creativity

I have had to embrace confusion as a fact of life, but I also cultivate it as a permanent, generative state.

Moving forward with lateral thinking.

I engage in a continuous process where opposing ideas coexist as productive forces. Lateral thinking employs deliberate provocations, often in the form of paradoxical questions or seemingly irrational suggestions, to induce confusion.

This is not something I need: I am in a permanent state of lateral thinking with opposing ideas as coexisting forces.
Navigating cognitive dissonance is a fundamental aspect of my creative process. This condition of uncertainty leads to the discovery of novel syntheses and unexpected insights.

And this is why certain methods of investigation or creation are helping me a lot.

This is why certain investigative and creative methodologies have become invaluable to me. In constrained approaches—such as those found in OUxPO[1]—confusion is not merely a temporary problem to be solved but rather a structural principle that drives innovation.

While confusion may initially feel unsettling, it serves as a generative force—a mechanism that propels creative thinking beyond established boundaries.

 I have come to see confusion not as a mere absence of clarity, but as a dynamic state that challenges and enriches my creative and intellectual pursuits.

I find that when I embrace confusion, it disrupts established thought patterns, forcing me to question the familiar and explore uncharted perspectives. Instead of viewing uncertainty as an obstacle, I welcome it as a vital component of my process—a fertile ground for innovation and unexpected insights.

I recognise that this perpetual state of cognitive dissonance is not something to be eradicated but rather a powerful force that propels my creativity beyond conventional boundaries.

By engaging with the tensions between clarity and chaos, I am able to navigate the complexities of thought and generate novel ideas that transform my understanding of the world around me.

[1] OUxPO refers to the Ouvroir d'X Potentielle (Opener of Potential X), a creative framework inspired by OULIPO.
It applies structured constraints across artistic and intellectual domains to generate innovation and challenge conventional thought.