ABSTRACT
Carl Jung coined the term ‘shadow self’ in reference to unconscious aspects of our personality that are buried out of sight, arguing that until we accept and integrate them into our conscious, we are not whole, and that which is unconscious dominates us. This chapter considers death and decay as ‘the shadow side’ of creativity and innovation—that which lies underneath and precedes and succeeds flourishing. Curiosity around the shadow side may turn neglect into a new fascination for better understanding and integration of these aspects of creation. If we look at the metaphor of flourishing, it stands out that the contextual conditions dictate the outcome of the process of transformation. As an emergent property of living organisms, flourishing is a potentiality, realised when the proper systemic conditions are present. It is appropriate to consider how we set the conditions for the desired transformation to occur.
