"I could have written this. I am an artist with aphantasia. It takes a lot of prep to complete a painting, including reference photos, and multiple sketches. I’m moving into abstractions and find it much more fulfilling to simply react to what I’ve painted. Thank you for putting all this into words. People don’t seem to understand the process of painting for someone without internal vision, but I’ll refer them to this article next time I’m asked."

"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 am an artist and have many artist friends. Good art does not come from copying an image -"Art is a question in Form " And "Accident is our studio assistant." When we begin an artwork it is the prosess of the making that is what being an artist is- not knowing what will be the result at the end. Additionally,before I knew I had aphantasia, I began making drawings from photographs I took of a moment or an event that was important to me. The drawings are of the details, textures, shadows- and only I know that moment. I call them my souvenirs ..Elllllen"

"I could have written this. I am an artist with aphantasia. It takes a lot of prep to complete a painting, including reference photos, and multiple sketches. I’m moving into abstractions and find it much more fulfilling to simply react to what I’ve painted. Thank you for putting all this into words. People don’t seem to understand the process of painting for someone without internal vision, but I’ll refer them to this article next time I’m asked."

"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 am an artist and have many artist friends. Good art does not come from copying an image -"Art is a question in Form " And "Accident is our studio assistant." When we begin an artwork it is the prosess of the making that is what being an artist is- not knowing what will be the result at the end. Additionally,before I knew I had aphantasia, I began making drawings from photographs I took of a moment or an event that was important to me. The drawings are of the details, textures, shadows- and only I know that moment. I call them my souvenirs ..Elllllen"