Can I be an artist with aphantasia?

I’ve heard folks ask, “can someone even be an artists as an Aphant?”

The answer is yes, but let’s back up a little. For those who don’t know, Aphantasia is the inability to “see” images in your imagination or with your eyes closed.

People tell me when asked to imagine something like an apple or maybe a knight in armor, they can just see it, as if they were looking at it. Some people might see various ideas of varying clarity, but most people can actually visualize a knight, or an apple.

I cannot. I have a general idea of what a knight might be. From things I’ve seen, heard, and read. But I simply don’t visualize a knight. In fact, since I’ve learned about aphantasia, I kind of get a bit envious of people who do see images when they close their eyes. It would make this process of being an artist so much easier, I think.

But let’s not lament what is – We just simply have to learn to adapt. With aphantasia, references become more important. Because we’re not visualizing things, we have to have more visual helpers to get an image where we want it to be.

Here I started with a reference, penciled in some landmarks on the page quickly, then dove in with me reference at hand. Without a reference, I’ve discovered I truly struggle a great deal to get something cohesive on a page. It’s because I simply don’t have an image in my mind. I may have an concept, or idea that I want to execute, but no image.

The simple answer is, yes – you CAN be an artist as an Aphant, but you need to adapt to the way your brain is functioning.

I always wondered why people who meditate would just say, “Imagine you’re on a beach with warm tropical winds” or something, and they would be swept away. I don’t experience any of that stuff when I close my eyes and think about those things. At best, I may have a quick instant flash… or blurry concept. Which means I think I am not a TOTAL Aphant, but I see or imagine nothing for more than an instant.

I think it’s why I gravitate toward what I call “reactive art”, that’s where I drop blobs of color or ink on the page and make something from that. I find it an easier path to find fantastic images when the image starts in front of me.