I've been thinking recently about where ideas come from. I'm often asked about that as a visual artist and I don't always understand the answer myself! I have a lot of images that float around in my mind and I want to try to capture them when I paint. These are often landscapes, seascapes, and skies. I return to these subjects over and over again in a vain attempt to capture the beauty of nature. Sometimes these images come to me in my dreams! Like this one:
If I sit down to paint and I don't feel like painting anything particular I always go back to the sea. I could stare at the sea for hours. It is constantly changing and I love the idea of being able to capture a fleeting moment. Whether it's a smooth and calming sea or a wild and stormy sea, there are endless options.
On a practical note, I will often look for reference photos to support a painting I'm working on. The vast majority of the time the image took shape in my mind first, and I find a photo to help ground the painting in reality.
I hope this helps explain where my ideas come from. Do you have images floating around in your mind? Where do ideas come from?