Topic: Creativity

Can you be creative without mental imagery? Absolutely. People with aphantasia often develop unique creative approaches, using abstract concepts, emotions, non-visual and non-sensory methods to innovate and create art across various mediums.

Rather than limiting artistic expression, aphantasia often leads to distinctive creative processes. Many successful artists, writers, and designers with aphantasia demonstrate that creativity thrives through multiple pathways, not just visual and sensory imagination.

On this page, you’ll find research, interviews, stories from aphantasic artists, and discussions about creativity with aphantasia.

As an artist with aphantasia, I create without mental images, relying on conceptual thinking and tactile exploration. My process transforms abstract ideas into tangible works, using recycled materials and collage to bring concepts to life. Without visual preconceptions, I embrace discovery, letting the journey shape my art and reimagining creativity as a dialogue with the world around me.
As a horror writer with aphantasia, I can’t visualize the creepy skulls I write about. Yet, I still describe vivid scenes by focusing on sounds, smells, and emotions. My imagination doesn’t need visuals to create gripping stories—character depth and atmosphere are my strengths.
Aphantasia, living without a mind's eye, doesn't hinder creativity. Despite my inability to visualize, I wrote and published a fantasy novel, proving creativity thrives in unique ways.
Best-selling author discovers aphantasia. Discover the buzz behind John Green aphantasia discovery and its significance in the community.
I achieved something I had never done before as a visual artist with aphantasia. How I “imagined” light in a dark cave with no mind’s eye.
When I learned about aphantasia I began to wonder... How might the vividness of our individual imaginations impact our design process?
Artists, writers, illustrators, photographers and all people who work with their creative impulses are not limited by their aphantasia.
How do I create if I cannot create things in my imagination? Artist shares creative workarounds for aphantasics.
Master photographer shares tips for expanding your photographic talent with aphantasia in this article on photography, creativity, and aphantasia.
If you can’t visualize, how can you write? Write by patchwork. Award-winning aphantasic author shares tips for how to write with aphantasia.
December 22, 2024
IF you are of a singer/songwriter, and also at a performer level, can you VISUALIZE the written song you have composed WHILE YOU PLAY OR SING IT?
September 30, 2024
I’m a graphic designer/artist/animator. When I start a project, I can tell myself that it’ll be in XYZ style because I’ve seen it somewhere and that’s what ...
August 19, 2024
Hello all, I am a total aphant who also experiences SDAM (severely deficient autobiographical memory).I learned about my way of navigating this world about 5...
April 28, 2024
Just joined today. I've loved to draw since I was very young. My parents always made sure I had paper and drawing materials even though this was kind o...
January 10, 2022
As an aphantasic I’ve always found long descriptions in novels boring and tend to skip over them. In fact, for a long time I didn’t know why they...
August 11, 2021
Hello all! My name is Kait Ritter, I’m currently a director in animation working at Disney TVA. Before that, I was a storyboard artist, and before that I was...
February 16, 2021
Hello everyone! my name is Victoria Blue I play the French Horn am currently studying for my masters in music performance. I learned I was Aphantasic just a ...
January 20, 2021
I, just today, found out what aphantasia is and that I have it, so the first thing that came to my mind was: could this have an effect on my aspirations of b...
January 16, 2020
Hello, My name is Øyvind Heilo, student in Musicology, the University of Oslo. I’m currently planning on writing a bachelor on Musicality and Aphantasi...
November 14, 2019
I am curious about to which extent an inner eye is a necessity for drawing things without a model. What are your experiences? Are you able to draw, say, a ca...
YouTuber, Anthony Padilla spends a day with aphantasics. Featuring Founder of the Aphantasia Network, Tom Ebeyer and artists AmyRightMeow and Katherine Yaochen Du.
May 14, 2021
Disney animator Glen Keane creates without visualizing. Watch this video on Keane's creative process and how he found beauty in animating the Beast.
September 3, 2016