Jacobs argues that economies follow the same rules as ecological systems. They behave in the same way as systems in nature: as dynamic systems of interdependency. The core of Jacobs' argument is energy, whether it is manifest in ecological systems or in economic systems. Our contention is that Jacobs' argument applies to cultural systems (and we take it that the arts, both practice and research, are aspects of cultural systems). In this paper we are seeking to revisit Jacob's framework and think about the extent to which her observations might also form a methodology. Our hunch is that Jacobs' careful unpacking of ecology as a construct might be useful for artists and researchers to grasping the relationship between method, artistic creativity and art research
