When you're reading a book and are introduced to new characters, how do you build your mental image of them? Your neurons fire so quickly that it's hard to break down the step by step process through which a character's image is drawn in your mind. What words triggered what processes? Many variables come into play! And what's more, the order in which our brains are fed that information ends up painting a different picture in our heads than if the information had been provided in a different order. It's a complex topic. In this blog post, you'll gain newfound knowledge about your imagination as a reader of stories.
If you were reading an illustrated medium such as a graphic novel, comic book or visual novel, the process is, of course, much more straightforward, since you're looking at the drawings and have direct visual references. Needless to say, primarily visual mediums such as movies, TV, theater plays and video games make it even more straightforward because you can see the characters or actors and watch their every move. Humans have adapted and evolved to be excellent at recognizing living beings, and especially good at recognizing other humans. But reading a story means your brain is only getting words, what happens then? That's where the power of imagination kicks in, and that's one the reasons why reading is such a strong mentally stimulating activity.
Picturing what a person or character looks like is a skill not only reserved to reading books, it's a skill related to hearing stories. Your parents telling you a story about someone you don't know? Your friend sharing gossip about a friend of a friend? A teacher talking about a historical figure you've never seen before? These are all examples of everyday cases where your imagination may kick in and try to construct an image based on what you're hearing. A process not too unlike reading a book, isn't it?
So if I were to tell you the story of a strong man with shoulder-length red hair with bow and arrow, would you already be able to see the person in your head as if you were watching a movie? Or how many more additional details would you need to read to be able to say that? What if I tell you he's a medieval peasant wading through a filthy alley? Does he suddenly look dirty too? Hopefully not, because he's actually clean and well-groomed, he just happens to be on his way to collect a reward from the Thieves Guild. What's that thing he's carrying, though? And what do you think he's wearing? Ah, your process of imagining the character has already kicked in, and it's at this precise moment when you can pause, take a breath and ask, ok, where is all this visual information in my head coming from? Based on what influences am I making those assumptions? The context of your prior experiences, and overall your entire life, is everything. That's why you're an artist, my friend! You're creating something, even if it's in your own head. You're using the words to paint a picture in your mind.
This blog post would be so incomplete if I didn't include a section on all the people with aphantasia, the inability to visualize. Aphantasia is an intriguing experience where a person doesn't have the traditional "mind's eye" to create a visual image in their head. They are living the human experience in a way other people just can't experience or relate to. If mental imagery is a spectrum, they're outside of it. On a scale of 1-10, where they are could well be 1÷0, "?" or ∞, it's anyone's guess. Take the red apple test to see if you're in the ~4% of the population that have it.
Aphants have fascinating thought patterns and cognitive processes, making our world a much more interesting place. Note that it's not a disability, it's analogous to being left-handed in a predominantly right-handed world (I can tell you firsthand that that's a pretty interesting experience too). Aphantasia is very relevant to this blog post not just because of the imagination factor, but because we all may possibly get the tiniest glimpse of what that feels like when we first hear someone's name, and for the briefest instant, have absolutely no idea of what they look like.
Did you imagine the previously mentioned red-haired peasant with a mustache? With a tattoo on their face? A long scar along the jaw? Brown or blue eyes? Why not silver, though? You know what, it's all valid! It is through our infinitely varied experiences, subconscious processes and personal contextualization that character images start coming together. That process is different for everybody. It may be heavily influenced by adaptations, fanart and whatnot, and that's perfectly fine. It's all part of our brain's creative flow. The fact that your awareness of this process has now increased just means you're sharpening your imagination skills.
So it turns out that there's not one right way to imagine a character, and that is a beautiful thing. That's one of our strongest philosophies at Storylace, and a big reason why you'll see us celebrating so many different renditions of the same character in myriad different styles. So yes, you've been right all this time, however you imagine your characters is actually the correct way to imagine them simply because they are your interpretations, and you are important. The realms of imagination are infinite and everyone's is different.
Some people may think that an author-approved canonical image of a character is the only officially correct answer, but the truth is far more interesting and diverse. Canonical depictions are fun and special because they're approved by the same minds that came up with a certain story. But, it is important to remember that stories only start to come alive when shared with others, and at that point, it's anybody's game.
At Storylace, we honor this beautiful concept through the Storygazing experience. Seeing a story come alive through a great variety of interpretations and styles is extremely fun. Sharing with others what we imagine can really enrich our reading journeys. Imagination is powerful. Stories and art bring people together. Next time you're talking to a reader friend, go ahead and ask them: "How do you imagine the characters while reading books?". You'll be surprised at the variety of different answers you get.