Opening memorization damages player's creativity

What do you think?

Yes, the nature of opening preparation itself inherently hampers creativity. But it also makes you a better chess player. It's all a matter of which you would rather have - creativity or better skills.

Too much memorization damages creativity. But without memorization nothing could be done.

Yes, there is some truth in that. Especially if it comes to stupid learning of endless numbers of move sequences by heart without understanding the underlying strategic plan.

Mindless adherence to opening lines stifles creativity.  Learning (memorizing) openings gives one a framework within to work and explore via creativity.

Yes but this don't help develop chess skills, because you follow only the opening lines and don't make your own plan. Chess960 can be a lot useful but many can't play it.

Which is precisely why I keep argueing in favour of computer assistance for the opening.

Absolute malarkey. 

Memorization does not hamper creativity. 

Next, the OP will be asking whether playing through the games of masters hampers creativity.

I'm not in favor of rote memorization of chess openings for most players, but not because it hampers the ability to be creative. Too many people memorize openings as a substitute for the hard work of learning the game.

Every elite player has memorized openings. Whoever your favorite grandmaster is, they memorized opening lines. It didn't hamper their creativity. 

 However, for amateur chess players, if you want to memorize something useful or beautiful, memorize poetry or the periodic table.

I think it is good to understand opening theory to a point. For example, understanding the most important variations for the first several moves is required (IMO). However, nothing is more fun than trying to be creative and figuring out the best move yourself after that. I'd say get out of the danger zone and then have some fun. Unless you want to be a master, why be so serious.

that just does not make sense sorry man

Incomprehensible. I know.

Let me put it this way. Chess is fun. Memorization takes the fun out of it for a lot of people; however, you need to understand some opening theory. O.K. but I like to try to work things out on my own too. If I go back on a game, I might find I made the third best book move in a certain position. I am happy I found it on my own, not by memorizing it. If I lose, who cares. I had fun figuring it out on my own.

BUT, some people want to become masters, etc. Then, yes. Memorizing is a must.

Creativity plays a small role in chess anyway. The most important and effective thing is calculating power.

In chess jargon thinking and keeping track of a variation is called "calculation".

Forget being creative.

I don't think even a grandmaster would memorize a move without any thought about its function at all. I think they would try to commit specific sequences to memory, but I think at least beforehand they would have an idea of what those memorized moves were actually doing as well.

With that said, I've seen strong GMs a lot of times analyzing their games saying things like "I prepared this move, but forgot why." Still, I say that's different -- I don't think they set out to memorize something as if they are the digits of pi, where all they care about is that all of the data stays in their head; there is still understanding that is going into it.

The way I play forces my opponent to play on my terms so I can play out my first 10 moves on my terms

In the awesome book 'How to beat your dad at chess'(written by a gm) has a nice bizarre position of chess.The author claims that an amateur and an expert both will face problem while finding the best move of that position.It explains about the so called creativity in chess.Chess in not like math that one has given some formula to solve.It's about the output you already have from past experience .That may be own game but better is to follow a large number master games.

Memorisation is a step in the process of understanding. 

I think that opening theory i sonly for professionals, to don't waste too much time in the opening. But, for amateurs, is important learn to play chess, studying things like tactics, strategy and endgame, not waste time memorizing variations.

GMs and professionals don't need to waste time with openings because they analyze position and make optimal moves while also planning 20 moves into the future. But, we can learn to understand chess better by memorizing openings like Gazmanus says, especially through different variations in any opening. It's not a waste of time unless you focus on a single line in a single opening that you hope to beat everyone in the world with, ie) Fried Liver Attack. Try watching videos on games in specific openings, you'll end up learning more by watching/memorizing? different ways to handle/manuever through an opening..