IMHO, a good memory is an aid. To the extent that it appears as a hindrance, I believe this is a different problem that must be overcome by other means. My reas

IMHO, a good memory is an aid. To the extent that it appears as a hindrance, I believe this is a different problem that must be overcome by other means. My reasoning is, that the good memory is employed in learning about structures and patterns and possibilities - 'possible ways'. The more knowledge you have about possible structures, the vaster the space you can navigate to search for and find new combinations and solutions. Not having all this knowledge, would mean you are searching blind. Metaphorically, your 'tunnel' may be 5 cm away from breaking through to a possible solution to the other side, but without knowledge of the possible-patterns landscape, you will not realize that there is a solution to find by just tunneling 5 cm onwards. You may still be able to find great combinations by "dumb luck", with great effort - but knowing the map and the territory, all else the same, SHOULD be a great accelerating advantage. If this knowledge of prior art is combined with the attitude 'oh no that is just that song by X', of course that may seem bad. But that should be solved with techniques like Edward de Bono's six thinking hats or whatever else leads to constructive brainstorming.