Abstract: The subject of the study is to understand the phenomenon of creativity, and the purpose is to provide recommendations for its diagnosis and development of creative abilities. Creativity is currently one of the most sought-after skills according to the forecasts of analysts of the World Economic Forum. The methodological basis of the research is the theoretical and practical results known in science in the psychology of creativity and the story-game concept of reality. Particular attention is paid to the identification in the works on the definition and diagnosis of creativity of their ontological connection with the story-game paradigm, which also intersects meaningfully with studies on situational semantics. A comparative and critical analysis of the basic concepts in these approaches is carried out. The main conclusions of the study are as follows. When teaching any subject, it is useful to diagnose the type of thinking of the audience, periodically offer various tasks that require little time, but develop analytical and creative thinking at the same time, requiring the use of broad categories, synthetics of perception of the environment and a high level of cognitive flexibility, the ability to understand and form metaphors, free association of meanings, interpretations of any text, picture, phenomenon; that is, in fact, it is teaching a creative and playful attitude to various problems. The story-game approach, both in training and in any field of activity, makes it possible to optimally maintain a balance between following the patterns – the "rules of the games" of nature and society and original, creative behavior.