On "Creative writers and day-dreaming" by Sigmund Freud (1908)

Relatively early in his career, Freud wrote a short text on creativity, arguing that, far from being the privilege of a few artists, it was part of a process naturally developing as a continuation of children’s play. After presenting that text, this chapter discusses it in the light of past and recent developments, focusing on the idea that creativity is a process. British psychoanalysis has examined that idea, with an emphasis on what may hinder creativity and its variations. In Russia, however, Vygotsky’s work, without quoting them explicitly, has largely drawn on Freud’s intuitions, yet including them in a more socioculturally aware psychology. Three ideas need further theoretical and empirical investigation: the continuum between child and adult creativity; the nuances between daydream, imagination, and creativity; and the role of emotions and personal motives in any creative endeavor.