The Blind Mind

I’ve got some exciting news to share about the grant project I’ve been working on for the past four months. Here’s the scoop: I’ve created 30 artworks, all beautifully framed and named. I’ve also made some raw videos on YouTube called Art and Aphantasia. I gave a presentation to about 90 art students and their teachers. I was a panelist on a podcast with people in education who have aphantasia (and hyperphantasia). I was even interviewed for a podcast as an artist with aphantasia. And guess what? I have two exhibits coming up in September/October 2025 and March/April 2026!

Wow! It’s been an incredible journey so far!

The goal of the grant was to create new artwork and raise awareness about aphantasia. I wanted to reach out to the general public and especially those who work in education or fields where visualization techniques are used, like therapists who use cognitive behavioral therapy, guided imagery, hypnotherapy, and mindfulness-based therapy. There’s also a therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), but I don’t know much about it except that visualization techniques are used during that process. To be honest, I’m not an expert on any of these therapies, but I know that meditation, hypnosis, and guided imagery are probably not good options for a-phantastics! I learned that word from Shane Williams, the host of Discovering Your Mind, a podcast about aphantasia.

As I’m finishing up the details for the show and reflecting on what I’ve learned, I realize that there’s definitely a need for awareness. Maybe some educators could consider alternative ways of evaluating students. I have strong opinions that this is just the tip of the iceberg, but it brings it home to an area that I believe really engages students: project-based learning, which is based on constructivism (where students construct their own learning). I never really liked testing as a method of evaluation, and what’s the point unless you’re going to be a surgeon, but even then…it’s hands-on!

Dawn Rossbach is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.