1. Innovation & Leadership 2011 (SFC/G-SEC)
Understanding Creative Processes
Takashi Iba
Ph.D. in Media and Governance
Associate Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University, Japan
http://twitter.com/takashiiba

2. Mass
Collabora%on Conceptual
Age
Open
Collabora%on
Crea%ve
Class
Collabora%ve
Innova%on
Networks
(COINs)
Coolhun%ng
&
Coolfarming
Swarm
Crea%vity
Collec%ve
Crea%vity
Organiza%onal
Crea%vity
Crea%ve
Collabora%on Design
Thinking
Group
Genius
Innova%on
Group
Crea%vity

3. Creativity matters!

4. What is Creativity ?

5. What is Creativity ?
• Can’t one call a process “creative” without the evaluation of novelty
by others?
• How can we formulate creative processes that contain much of
contingency?
• Are there any difference between individual and group creativity?

6. What is Creativity ?
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2 (2010) 6610–6625
6305–6625
COINs2009: Collaborative Innovation Networks Conference
An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity
Takashi Ibaab
a MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, Cambridge MA, USA
bFaculty of Policy Management, Keio University, Japan
Creative Systems Theory A bstract
In this paper, a new, non-psychological and non-sociological approach to understanding creativity is proposed.
The approach is based on autopoietic system theory, where an autopoietic system is defined as a unity whose
organization is defined by a particular network of production processes of elements. While the theory was
originally proposed in biology and then applied to sociology, I have applied it to understand the nature of
creation, and called it "Creative Systems Theory". A creative system is an autopoietic system whose element
is "discovery", which emerges only when a synthesis of three selections has occurred: "idea", "association",
and "consequence". With using these concepts, we open the way to understand creation itself separated from
psychic and social aspects of creativity. On this basis, the coupling between creative, psychic, and social
systems is discussed. I suggest, in this paper, the future of creativity studies, re-defining a discipline
"Creatology" for inquiring creative systems and propose an interdisciplinary field as "Creative Sciences" for
interdisciplinary connections among creatology, psychology, and so on.
Keywords; creativity; systems theory; autopoiesis; pattern language
1 . I ntroduction
In this paper, a new, non-psychological and non-sociological approach to understanding creativity
is proposed. The approach is based on autopoietic system theory, where an autopoietic system is
defined as a unity whose organization is defined by a particular network of production processes
of elements. While the theory was originally proposed in biology and then applied to sociology, I
have applied it to understand the nature of creation, and called it "Creative Systems Theory". A
creative system is an autopoietic system whose element is "discovery", which emerges only when a
synthesis of three selections has occurred: "idea", "association", and "consequence". With using
these concepts, we open the way to understand creation itself separated from psychic and social
aspects of creativity. On this basis, the coupling between creative, psychic, and social systems is
discussed. I suggest, in this paper, the future of creativity studies, re-defining a discipline
"Creatology" for inquiring creative systems and propose an interdisciplinary field as "Creative
Sciences" for interdisciplinary connections among creatology, psychology, and so on.
There are several reasons why study of creativity is pursued from so many angles today. First,
against the backdrop of the shift from labor-intensive work to knowledge-intensive work, many
people involved in business need to make full use of intelligence and creativity for obtaining
1877-0428 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.04.071
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

7. Creative Systems Theory
based on the autopoietic systems theory
A creative process is defined as an autopoietic system whose
elements are discoveries.
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.
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

8. Production Network of Discoveries in Creation
Each discovery is produced based on previous discovery,
associating the on-going creation.
What is most important is successive production of discoveries.
Discovery, in this context, does not imply it is novel, true, and
useful.
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

9. Production Network of Discoveries in Creation
• “They succeed by way of many small sparks, and by drawing on collaboration
over time to build those sparks into something tremendous. Many of the idea
turn out to be wildly off the mark, but it turns out many not-so-good ideas are
needed on the way to that rare great idea.” (Sawyer 2007; p.105)
• "Darwin's notebook show that he reached many dead ends and produced a lot
of ideas that scientists now consider weird.” (Sawyer 2007, p.106)
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

10. Creative Systems Theory
based on the autopoietic systems theory
A creative process is defined as an autopoietic system whose
elements are discoveries.
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.
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

11. “Creation” as
Coupling of Creative, Psychic, and Social Systems
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

12. Two Phases of Creative Thinking
Divergent Thinking Convergent Thinking

13. Brain Storming as a method for Divergent Thinking
proposed by Alex F. Osborn, the
president of Advertising Agency
BBDO, 1939
Focus on quantity
Withhold criticism
Welcome unusual ideas
Combine and improve ideas

14. Exercise: Brain Storming

15. Collaboration Skills Workshop
2004 2008@Keio University

16. Collaboration Skills Workshop
2004 2008@Keio University

17. Collaboration Skills Workshop
2004 2008@Keio University

18. Collaboration Skills Workshop
2004 2008@Keio University

19. Iba Lab.
2004 @Keio University

20. Iba Lab.
2004 @Keio University

21. Iba Lab. & Tama Lab.
2004 @Keio University

22. Learning Patterns Project, Iba Lab.
2008 2009@Keio University

23. Learning Patterns Project, Iba Lab.
2008 2009@Keio University

24. Learning Patterns Project, Iba Lab.
2008 2009@Keio University

25. Presentation Patterns Project, Iba Lab.
2011@Keio University

26. Presentation Patterns Project, Iba Lab.
2011@Keio University

27. Presentation Patterns Project, Iba Lab.
2011@Keio University

28. Presentation Patterns Project, Iba Lab.
2011@Keio University

29. Brain Storming as a method for Divergent Thinking
proposed by Alex F. Osborn, the
president of Advertising Agency
BBDO, 1939
Focus on quantity
Withhold criticism
Welcome unusual ideas
Combine and improve ideas

30. Creative Systems Theory
based on the autopoietic systems theory
A creative process is defined as an autopoietic system whose
elements are discoveries.
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.
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

31. Production Network of Discoveries in Creation
Each discovery is produced based on previous discovery,
associating the on-going creation.
What is most important is successive production of discoveries.
Discovery, in this context, does not imply it is novel, true, and
useful.
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

32. “Creation” as
Coupling of Creative, Psychic, and Social Systems
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

33. System Formation of an Autopoietic System
(1) Element as Momentary Event
(2) Boundary Reproduction of the System
(3) Element Constitution based on the System
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

34. Creation-Centered Viewpoint
What is most important is successive production of discoveries.
It doesn’t matter where and how discoveries come from.
• Maybe from deliberation, spark, or merely by accident.
• Maybe by somebody alone or collaboration by more than one person.
Both of human and source of ideas are
located in the environment of the
creative system!
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

35. Creation-Centered Viewpoint

36. Emergence of Momentary Elements
Discovery is emerged from a synthesis of following three
selections: idea, association, and finding.
Discovery happens only when a finding is obtained as a result of
that an idea is associated to on-going creation.
self-reference
alter-reference
Iba, T. (2009) “An Autopoietic Systems Theory for Creativity”, COINs2009.

37. Discovery Media
There are intrinsically uncertainties for realization of discovery.
• Association of idea.
• Far-reaching finding from association of idea.
• Success of the discovery
Media is evolutionary achievements for overcoming these
uncertainties
• Media for inspiration
• Media for inference
• Media for success

38. Coupling of Creative, Psychic, and Social Systems

39. Implications
Think and communicate for successive production of
discoveries!
Remember that ideas are always outside your creation!
Design your media for promoting creative processes!

40. Innovation & Leadership 2011 (SFC/G-SEC)
Understanding Creative Processes
Takashi Iba
Ph.D. in Media and Governance
Associate Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University, Japan
http://twitter.com/takashiiba

41. 2011
11 12 3 4
DC
Center for
Doctor of Collective Intelligence
NPO ETIC. Philosophy in Economics and Education
τ11