Need help drawing from the mind

[T0PHER]

Hi, this is the first time that I've really posted here, so please excuses me if this is in the wrong place. Anyway, I'm 17 and I’m about to apply to an art college. However what I keep reading in the requirements for the portfolio is that the pieces should not be drawn from photographs.
Well that causes a bit off an issue for me. You see I'm great at copying what I see onto paper, especially when it comes to the human figure. Still lifes bore me for the most part, which means I loose my interest and don’t put enough work into them. The human figure however keeps my interest and I put out pretty good pieces of art. Now to get to the issues:
A) Most of my pieces of art are from photographs.
B) I can’t possibly ask my family/friends to pose for me for hours on end.
C) I'm not very good at drawing realistic or stylized people (from my imagination).
However it seems I have only one option, I am going to need to draw directly from my mind. So, to finally wrap this boring speech up, could you please give me tips or sudgest on how to draw the human figure directly from the mind?
P.S. I know proportions for the most part, the main issue that I have is with the shapes, as in the shapes of the eyes, nose, muscles etc. They just don’t look quite right. :/

Thanks, Topher

[Elwell]

STOP WORRYING! Doing convincing figures from imagination is something you go to school to get the skills FOR, not something you do to GET INTO school. And no, it's NOT your only option.
A.Do a few still lifes, they won't kill you. You find them boring? So, come up with some way of approaching things so that you're not bored. Draw a piece of cheese as seen by a mouse. Draw a conversation between a salt and pepper shaker. Draw a wooden object as if it's made out of metal and a metal object as if it's made out of wood.
B. You don't need someone to pose for you "for hours on end." What can you do in five minutes? Ten? Fifteen?
3. Draw yourself. Your face, your hands, your feet, your whole body. I assume you're willing to sit for yourself for hours on end, if necessary?
Schools want to see direct observational drawing because it's the easiest way to judge someone's skills on a fairly objective basis. They don't have to (and shouldn't, necessarily) make up your entire portfolio, but not having any is going to be a disadvantage.

[T0PHER]

Wow, thanks for the advice. Especially the part about the still lifes, that seems a lot more interesting now. About the poses, I certainly can do a good sketch in that time. I'll try finishing it later to make it finished quality. I do self portraits of myself all the time, and I have a lot of good quality ones to put into my portfolio, I just don’t think I should fill it up with them. But really thanks again, that’s really going to help. :D

[Qitsune]

A.Do a few still lifes, they won't kill you. You find them boring? So, come up with some way of approaching things so that you're not bored. Draw a piece of cheese as seen by a mouse. Draw a conversation between a salt and pepper shaker. Draw a wooden object as if it's made out of metal and a metal object as if it's made out of wood.

A great exemple:
http://www.linesandcolors.com/2007/06/08/neil-hollingsworth-update/

[T0PHER]

Thanks, I'm definitely going to give still life another shot very soon. Maybe it will be the first piece I put up here.