You can make art without having mental images.
References are nothing to be ashamed of. There are many ethical ways to obtain and use them!
Don't be afraid of the symmetry tool.
You. Are. Valid.
Special thanks to people like @adorkastock
AI is horrible. Make art yourself.
love adorkastock so much
also the symmetry tool has saved my ass so many times, i almost always start to drift crooked in some way or another without it
This! I've met great artists who literally cannot visualise. I myself can, but my disabilities mean it's so exhausting to try and rely on mental images and I tend to figure out stuff as I put refs together. And there are so many great value ref packs out there.