Aphantasia Creative Tools

Video and filmmaking

Planning shots without picturing them is workable. Describe each shot in plain sentences, then create or collect a reference for each one: stills from films, stock photos, a sketch or an AI-generated image. Annotate the camera position, framing and light. Editing and live switching rely on reacting to footage that already exists, which many people with aphantasia find comfortable and precise. Pair the plan with sound notes if sound is a strong channel for you.

CJ Stewart's book draws on his career in video production and live visuals.

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Creative Exercises

Cover of How to Be Creative with Aphantasia
Recommended Reading

How to Be Creative with Aphantasia

by CJ Stewart

A working account of how creativity happens when the mind's eye isn't there. CJ Stewart, a lifelong musician, painter, VJ and video producer who learned he had aphantasia in his forties, walks through the creative channels that stayed open for him (sound, working on real material, live and immediate work, and AI-generated references) and ends each chapter with something you can try. It is a practical, personal book, not a medical one.

Get the book on Amazon