Novelty genesis: the mechanism of forming the new from the old

Abstract

The theory of innovation and creativity has attempted to define the origins of novel creations using the concepts of bisociation, random mutations, exploration and play, and equilibration of differences. Despite recent attempts, there is still a gap in the theoretical description of how novel creations occur in a physical world. Is it a mysterious act or a phenomenon with clear logic to it? This conceptual article proposes a creational model that describes the underlying mechanics of creative actions, both cognitive and material. The research methodology is based on theory-building using case study research. Five familiar cases of novel creations are evaluated for cross-case patterns and similarities. The cases include cooking a dish, making a painting, creating a sculpture, childbirth, and the formation of a space star. The theoretical contribution of this paper is an alternative frame of reference to the mechanism of novelty genesis. The findings of this work might be of interest to academicians and practitioners in innovation studies. The creational model put forward in this conceptual paper offers a new lens to understand how the genesis of novelty occurs.