Creative Thinking through the Lens of Self-Reflection

Each of us carries unique personal experiences and backgrounds. Through these, we have our own social identity (how we identify ourselves in relation to others) as well as preconceptions that influence how we relate to others. These preconceptions can be formed by societal norms, stereotypes, or personal experiences. All of this can impact and unconsciously limit the stories we tell. A story or game with a narrow point of view will ultimately have a more limited audience. To appeal to a wider group, creating an inclusive environment is essential.

Thriving online spaces start with mindful practices that naturally make a wider range of players feel like they belong. Self-reflection is a tool to help you create narratives and characters that feel more authentic, inclusive, and engaging for your audience — whether in games or other creative projects.

This article offers a simple exercise to reflect on how your social identity might sway the research and narrative process of your game.

About the method

Self-reflection involves being open and candid about how our thoughts, backgrounds, and experiences can shape what we create.

This self-reflection exercise can help you better understand the experiences and assumptions you bring to your creative process. It can also help you identify gaps in your project that would benefit from broader perspectives or research. The goal is not to erase your personal viewpoint, but to acknowledge it as one specific viewpoint. This opens up curiosity that can help build richer worlds.

Who benefits from this method? 

This exercise is especially valuable for those in creative development, such as character and narrative designers. It also benefits anyone in a decision-making role, such as leadership and marketing, by creating self-awareness of how creative work is evaluated. 

When should you apply this method? 

Use this exercise early in the concepting or writing phase. To maintain its impact, revisit the exercise throughout development.

How can you use this method? 

You can use this exercise individually or workshop it as part of a team-building and brainstorming exercise during ideation. One way to do this is by posing a high-level scenario (e.g., you are developing a sci-fi game set on a planet recently inhabited by humans formerly from Earth, aiming to found a successful new society) and then having pairs or small groups discuss how their social identities might impact the characters and stories that come to mind.

Try it: A simple reflection activity

Think about your connection to each identity listed below. Keep in mind that you may not have just one answer, or an identity may not feel relevant to you.

• Age and / or generation — How old are you? Do you identify with a specific generation, like Gen Z or the Millennial generation?
• Body size — Body neutrality means not dwelling on the shape or size of your body. But many people face discrimination due to their body size. Have you?
• Disability (e.g., physical, cognitive, developmental, mental health) — Do you have a disability? This includes physical, emotional, cognitive, and communication disabilities, and some mental health issues.
• Education completed (e.g., formal, vocational, self-taught) — What level of formal education have you completed? Do you have vocational training?
• Ethnicity — Do you consider yourself part of a particular ethnic group or groups? What aspects of your cultural or ethnic background are most important when thinking about your identity?
• Gender expression — Gender expression is how one outwardly displays their gender through behaviors, clothing, voice, and other visible traits. What gender do you identify with?
• Language(s) spoken — What language(s) do you primarily speak at home? Are there other languages you speak fluently?
• National origin — In what nation were you born? Do you feel an attachment to that place?
• Race — What race(s) do you identify with? Has your understanding of or connection with your racial identity changed over time?
• Religious or spiritual affiliation — Do you identify as a member of a particular religion, or do you have another type of spiritual affiliation?
• Sexual orientation — Do you identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or another sexual orientation?
• Socioeconomic status — Refers to your family’s financial security. What is your level of financial security?

You can download the chart here to record your thoughts.

Questions to guide your reflection

• How do you identify, and how does this shape your perspective?
• How might your experiences within these identity groups influence the way you tell the story?
• Who are you in relation to the communities represented in your game or project?

If used in a workshop model, this exercise can also spark a conversation about how team members’ backgrounds might influence stories by unintentionally favoring one group over another.

An example

Using the sci-fi prompt from earlier, let’s imagine what this might look like for a team member reflecting on their age:

Turning the method into practice

With this foundation of self-awareness in place, use it as a lens to guide and evaluate your creative choices throughout the development process.  

These questions can help guide you:

• Who do you imagine is delivering the dialogue in your game? What motivates them to say what they say?
• Who does the narrative benefit? Does it create or reinforce inequalities? 
• Is the story told from the perspective of a group with power? Is this a story that is commonly shared in society? 
• Does the story ignore the perspective of groups often underrepresented in similar narratives?
• What are the narrative’s assumptions?

For example, building on our earlier sci-fi prompt, “You are developing a sci-fi game set on a planet recently inhabited by humans formerly from Earth, aiming to found a successful, new society,” reflect upon what details came to mind most readily when defining a “successful society” and why. How might your perspective influence your vision of a “successful” society? What stories does your imagined society favor, and what stories might it overlook?

Keep a detailed record of your thoughts and decisions throughout the development process. Occasionally, refer to your notes from the social-identity reflection exercise to keep self-awareness top of mind. 

Final thoughts 

Reflecting on how your background and experiences impact your perspective can help you make mindful creative choices and unlock broader inspiration in your games. Integrating this self-reflection into your personal or team’s development process also reduces the risk of costly end-stage revisions due to an unintentionally narrow perspective. Instead, it paves the way for more compelling and inclusive stories that resonate with diverse audiences.

Now what?

For more guidance on bringing an inclusive, authentic lens to game design, check out the free GDI Playbook from the Geena Davis Institute at gdiplaybook.org.

Also check out the following Playbook articles:

• Harmful Tropes in Game Design
• Steps to Avoid Casual Colonialism
• Reducing Bias in Language

About Geena Davis Institute

Founded by two-time Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis, GDI has a 20-year history of working to mitigate unconscious bias and reduce negative stereotyping in entertainment and media. It provides direct guidance and thought leadership on increasing representation across gender, race / ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age, and body type.

References

• Abdoo, P. M. (2020). Dominant Narratives.
• Conroy, M., Cassese, E., Duckert, L., Espinoza, C., Meyer, M., Reay, E., Shackleford, K., & Urban, D. (2023). Changing the Narrative: Why Representation in Video Games Matters. The Geena Davis Institute.
• Soedirgo, J. & Glas, A. Toward active reflexivity: Positionality and practice in the production of knowledge. PS: Political Science & Politics.