I discovered last year that others can actually see things in their minds eye and I can't. I've been an artist since I was about 10 and people started telling me I was. Before that I thought everyone could draw what they see in front of them, I mean why can't they? I think aphantasia has helped me be an artist. I've called myself a glorified copy machine. Because I can't imagine what a face looks like, I relt completely on what I see. Not an eye, but a line, a shape a color that all make up an eye and then a face. Images in my mind don't get in the way so I can paint what I see honestly. It has helped me be a better teacher as well. When my students are attempting to render an image rather faithfully, not abstract or styalized, I know to tell them to look at their subject at least half the time because that is where their information is. The mind always makes short cuts.

I discovered last year that others can actually see things in their minds eye and I can't. I've been an artist since I was about 10 and people started telling me I was. Before that I thought everyone could draw what they see in front of them, I mean why can't they? I think aphantasia has helped me be an artist. I've called myself a glorified copy machine. Because I can't imagine what a face looks like, I relt completely on what I see. Not an eye, but a line, a shape a color that all make up an eye and then a face. Images in my mind don't get in the way so I can paint what I see honestly. It has helped me be a better teacher as well. When my students are attempting to render an image rather faithfully, not abstract or styalized, I know to tell them to look at their subject at least half the time because that is where their information is. The mind always makes short cuts.