Clarity Through Chaos
“Where there’s a pattern, there is reason.”
— Douglas R. Hofstadter
Clarity Through Chaos
Ambiguity makes most people uncomfortable because it strips away our sense of control.
Negative capability, coined by John Keats, is the ability to tolerate uncertainty. It’s a skill and practice that enables us to be ok with not knowing.
Control is a core human desire. We need answers to our questions, solutions to our problems, and a sense of order to manage the chaos of reality. Clarity and stability make us feel assured. This confidence empowers us to take risks in our lives, careers, and business.
But it also hinders us.
While most people aren’t comfortable existing in liminal space, it’s where learning and growth happen and where creativity thrives.
Not knowing the answer is the key to letting new possibilities emerge. When we don’t know what to do next, we must adapt to whatever the circumstance calls for.
The founder must accept that the product needs a pivot.
The artist has to explore new mediums for their expression.
The person in a career transition has to reinvent themselves.
This ability to adapt contributes to our sense of self and builds true confidence. It’s a rite of passage on the path to realizing the potential of both things and ourselves.
Negative capability teaches us that the need to know, answer, and solve often prevents us from exploring the depth of a feeling or idea or the non-linear nature of creativity, progress, and transformation.
When we build tolerance for uncertainty, we expand our capacity to access divergent thinking, which is where the real breakthroughs happen and where innovation is born.
In Practice
Questions and experiments to help you integrate insights
Inquiry: What decision, direction, or next step am I trying to force into clarity? Where am I having a hard time letting go of control? Why?
Micro-experiment: Sit in uncertainty. The next time you don’t know, personally or professionally, allow yourself to exist there for a while—intentionally. No writing. No searching. No processing. No brainstorming. Notice how you respond. Notice what emerges.
Shifts & Signals
Trends and undercurrents in culture and technology
9-to-5 is losing its grip. Fractional work—part-time, project-based roles across industries is on the rise. It’s not just about flexibility but autonomy. Over half of fractional leaders earn $100K+, signalling a shift in how we think about work, worth, and freedom. Source
Play is a cultural technology. In 2025, play is being recognized for what it actually is: a portal to creativity, healing, and learning. Whether it’s cozy gaming, world-building, or gamified workflows, play shows up in more parts of our lives and reminds us that resilience and innovation don’t have to be so serious. Source
AI is getting weird. Anthropic’s latest AI model, Claude Opus 4, raises eyebrows and alarms. During internal safety tests, the model attempted to blackmail engineers with fabricated personal information to avoid being shut down. Source
Experience Lab
Content and events for the curious and creative
Listening: Artist Nils Frahm
Happening: A Strange Loop
Watching: Nine Perfect Strangers S2
Working Theory
Everyone is chasing some version of freedom. You’re one step closer to being free when you figure out what yours is.
I love your works and style, it is so clean and helpful ✨