What Inspires You?

[Dark2Evil]

Sorry if this is already a topic, but I'm curious about what gives other people the inspiration to make their creations. For me it happens when I'm looking or thinking about something and an image about it hits me and I think "That would look awesome on paper!"

[Psychotime]

Stuff I laugh at.

[Black Spot]

You know sometimes it’s myself. I look at what I’ve done and think, ‘Wow!’ and then I try to go one better. Then I look at the early stuff and go ‘meh!’ which makes me want to do even better. Leaping frogging myself all the way.

[Dark2Evil]

So do you make a lot of self-portraits Black Spot?

[Black Spot]

Not really. Don't want to face the grey hairs to often these days. I'm drawing vegetables at the moment; they're more succulent.

[Mirana]

If you actually wanted to know the answers to this question, then wouldn't you do a search first?

http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=128290
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=50389
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=132362
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=129871
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=123067
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=93959
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80592
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80679

(Not even going to go into all the threads and stickies discussing how to GET inspired, and thus HOW people are inspired.)

[Dark2Evil]

Sorry Mirana. This probably sounds funny, but I didn't think about that.

[Mirana]

LOL, it's okay. Now ya know. ;) The wiki link has some good stuff too and often gets overlooked.

[J Wilson]

I agree with Mirana that "inspiration" has been discussed to death, especially the superficial "what inspires you" or "where do you get your ideas."

However one thing in the original post struck me as kind of funny.
I'm looking or thinking about something and an image about it hits me and I think "That would look awesome on paper!"

... is there any other way that inspiration can hit? I know many artists have a process for generating ideas when they need them, but I don't consider that inspiration so much as a good working system. Looking or thinking about something and then getting struck with an idea is kind of the definition of inspiration I'd think.