"Autopoietic Systems Diagram for Describing Creative Processes"
Takashi Iba, The 2nd International Conference on Collaborative Innovation Networks (COINs2010), Oct, 2010.
Presentation Slides (PDF)
How creative processes are possible? In order to answer the question, our previous study (Iba 2009) proposed a new theory for creativity based on the autopoietic systems theory (Maturana & Varela 1980; Luhmann 1984). In the theory, a creative process is defined as an autopoietic system whose elements are “discoveries.” In other words, creative process is a re-production network of discoveries. Each discovery is emerged only when a synthesis of the following three selection occurs: “idea,” “association,” and “finding”. While we cannot predict the direction of any creative processes due to the nature of contingency, we can retrodict the process with the terms of the theory. However, the way to comprehend the creative process remains unclear, since our previous study only suggested a framework. Here we propose a method to describe creative processes in a diagram, which we call “autopoietic systems diagram.” Furthermore, we also show some examples from our own experiences of creative processes. We anticipate that the proposed method and diagram will be useful toolkits like the ones of System Dynamics (Forrester, 1961; Sterman 2000) and Soft Systems Methodology (Checkland 1981; Wilson 1984).
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Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, 1st Collaborative Innovation Network Conference.
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Sterman, J.D. (2000) Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World. McGraw Hill.
Wilson, B. (1984) Systems: Concepts, Methodologies and Applications, John Wiley & Sons.
