No imagination

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I am a 14-year old aspie. If I need to for whatever reason come up with an original idea, I cannot do it. This means having to concieve project, video or writing ideas just don't work for me.

Is this an aspie thing? Does anyone else who has this problem know any useful strategies?

I'll let you in on a secret.

There is no such thing as an original idea.

All ideas that we see as original, are just manipulations or blends of existing ideas.
I see this every time i "come up with an idea" though i don't think that most people do.
Maybe you're just being too literal when you try to find this original idea you're looking for. just make sure it's an idea that's not been put forth in exactly the same way before.

If what i just said helps... then it is an aspie thing... it's taking things too literally... My WORST aspie trait.

I have a very wild imagination.

I have a great imagination...or at least I used to when I was younger.

I love creating new races, religions, cultures, monsters, and cities for the roleplaying games I play. So I have a pretty vivid imagination. Perhaps you should take up playing roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons it might help to build up your imagination,

Exactly

In the case of artistic endeavors, the keys to success are putting together combination of ideas into a form that is pleasing to others (or just yourself if you don't care about making a career out of it).

In the realm of science, success is is achieved largely by combining existing knowledge along with observation in a way that is consistent with the immutable laws of nature.

It could be executive function issue rather than true lack of imagination. I also can't come up with ideas for projects on the spot, for school assignments etc... This caused me endless stress in english/writing classes. I can remember flat out refusing to do assignments and getting a grade of zero. I think I've improved somewhat over time though. This might get easier for you with increased age and practice.

I don't truly lack imagination though. I think I have a pretty vivid imagination on my own terms with things related to my own interests.

Exactly. There isn't. When I was reading Brave New World, even though it is not by Asimov, I couldn't help but thinking it could have been by him. It reminded me very much about the Spacer worlds. Then Men Like Gods, I have only read a short summary, and not the story itself(man, I've gotta figure out a way to get my hands on that book), however, it strikes me as the Spacers as well.

Then look at telenovelas. One of the reasons there are no originals, is because there is no such thing as 'original'. True, they are adapted, and such, but still. I mean, the basic thing is like, for example, that poor girl, marries a rich guy and lives happily ever thing for one. That's why the interesting thing is HOW they achieve it.lol

I think there are really only like nine stories that everyone uses. Like for basic plots. Something like that.

Read A technique for producing ideas by James Webb Young ! And dont worry I didnt think I had any inspiration (but I read my reports and aparently my teachers thought I was ) but now I scored 100% in the test in that area !? When I read that book it put into words exactly how I do it and could never have explained it myself ! Only 48 pages go on!! !! !

Just want to echo the statements that original ideas don't just come out of nowhere. Any idea anyone has is born from a mixture out outside influences and past experiences, but the person coming up with the idea often isn't consciously aware of its origins, so you often get claims of "It just came to me". The people with the best chance of coming up with original ideas are the ones who expose themselves to the most influences, experiences, and so on, while on the other hand it can be very hard to come up with anything if you just sit down and try to force it. My best ideas tend to come to me while in the shower, or walking, or trying to sleep - basically any time that I'm not consciously trying to come up with something.

To help with this I guess I'd just suggest exposing yourself to as much information related to the subject as you can. Look stuff up on Google, do some research, etc. Any time I need to do something creative for a project my first step is always to look for influences, and then the light bulbs start appearing above my head as I take in the information.

I think I know what you mean. Any school assignment that started with "write a story about ___________" was a good way for me to sit and stare at blank paper for a very long time. Even "story starters" didn't work. (A story starter -- I don't know; do they still do this? -- was just that: a beginning to a story which I was supposed to finish. The last two words given to me were generally 'and then...'.) How should *I* know what was supposed to happen next? I wasn't there. I don't know these people. I have *no idea* what happened next.

And it wasn't that I was having wild ideas and rejecting them. I just had no clue what the possibilities were. Still don't. Part of my job involves writing a newsletter. This is fine as long as someone else comes up with specific topics and then helps me pull together an outline. But "figure out what we're going to write for the July newsletter" is not something I can do.

Useful strategies? Only one: don't look at the big picture. Focus on something really small. If you get asked to write a report on Kansas, read a little bit to find out some things about Kansas. Oh, they grow wheat there. Good! Was there ever a bug that ate half the wheat crop? Do they irrigate? Where does the water come from? Are they using genetically-modified seeds? Then narrow it even further, and presto! you've got the beginnings to something you can write about.

Good luck.

Turn things that you are familiar with backwards and sideways.

Think of mice chasing cats. Think of fish catching people. Think of deer hunting humans. Keep going. Something original will pop up.

ruveyn

I find it very difficult to be creative when someone is TELLING me that I have to do it. This is one reason I dont want to pursue a publishing agent because they will have expectations of me to create more stories. I dont even like it when friends or family who have read my stories push me to finish.

Have you read The psychology of art and the evolution of the conscious brain by Robert L solso ? You would like that !

Double post

Last edited by redwulf25_ci on 07 Jun 2010, 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Even if it doesn't help your creativity it's fun and I've found it's one of the easier ways for me to socialize. I think it's because there are guidelines and I know what sort of interaction is expected of me and others.

As for the OP hopefully you can console yourself with being more creative than the kid I do respite care for who's creative ideas contain such original figures as the wizard Henry Potter and Werewolf Danny (i.e. Danny Phantom but half werewolf instead of half ghost). He also once decided to write a script for a sequel to the movie Zathura. He didn't get very far but it was the same dialog and situations as the original movie.

Edit: I did personally find I got more creative as I got older. Maybe the same will happen with you and the kid I work with.