Oh
@Gaze, how I love your post topics! Thank you for your thought and interesting posts. (Even when I don't reply, they make me think.)
I work in many mediums, and something interesting about this is that my I'm never inspired by work in that same medium. Music may inspire my writing, and photography may inspires my painting.
Every day I soak up thoughts, images, music, nature, and experiences that inspire my work, but it is not linear. Even if an image inspires me, my image will look like it has nothing to do with it. It could just be color, texture, use of light, or mood. My favorite artists, writers, and musicians may not even inspire me beyond my admiration for them. I don't try to copy them. The common denominator is that the work or experience must be profound. It must make me think and feel deep inside my brain where common things cannot reach. When that art of my brain lights up I feel truly alive.
Recently, I saw an image in a blog here that was so beautiful and directly linked to one of my key interests. It sent me on a tangent of thoughts and ideas about how to tie my interests and current projects together neatly. My end result won't be anything like the image the person posted (which was not original to them, just something they liked), but this person inspired me.
I'd write more, but I have to be at an apt in a few minutes! <3