Creativity is the ability to think about a task or a problem in a new or different way, or the ability to use the imagination to generate new ideas. Creativity enables us to solve complex problems or find interesting ways to approach tasks.
In psychology, it has recently been considered a life skill (along with, for example, critical thinking), which allows us to solve certain problems that arise before us.
Each person has a different “dose” of creativity: there are people who, endowed with greater creativity, immediately arrive at the solution to a problem or puzzle, and there are people who get there with more time and effort. Creativity, therefore, is an individual and unique characteristic of man.
And this skill can be developed during growth, through play. Children, in fact, by nature are curious and, therefore, creative. Thanks to play, the child “vents” all his anxieties and worries, giving free rein to his imagination. Play, for Bruner and Winnicott, is fundamental for the healthy development of the child, who learns, without risks and dangers, new ways and strategies to deal with daily problems.
According to various studies, children, by playing video games, develop flexibility of thought and, therefore, an increase in creativity. The more he plays, the more creative the child becomes. The Bruner and Winnicott principle described above, therefore, can easily be applied even in modern times, with video games now entertaining the new generations.
A tool particularly used by psychologists around the world to evaluate creativity is the Torrance test, which analyses variables such as the flexibility of thought, its fluidity, originality and the elaboration of the answers given by the subject. Using this test, psychologists and researchers have found that there is no link between creativity and internet browsing or cell phone use; but there is a strong connection between creativity and the use of video games: they do not only have a leisure and entertainment function, on the contrary, they significantly develop skills and characteristics of the mind, such as, in this case, creative thinking.
Creativity is a crucial skill for gaming industry professionals, whether they are designers, developers, writers, artists, or marketers. Creativity allows them to generate original and innovative ideas, solve problems, adapt to changing trends, and communicate their vision. However, creativity is not a fixed trait that some people have and others don’t. It is a skill that can be developed and improved with practice, feedback, and inspiration.