Inspiration
-noun

1. an inspiring or animating action or influence.
2. something inspired, as an idea.
3. a result of inspired activity.
4. a thing or person that inspires.
5. Theology.
a. a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.
b. the divine quality of the writings or words of a person so influenced.
6. the drawing of air into the lungs; inhalation.
7. the act of inspiring; quality or state of being inspired.

_{Dictionary.com}



I asked *PhotoLust's friends, contributors and watchers to share their sources of inspiration, to introduce you to their muses. This is what they said. I hope it inspires you.



Literally by all that surrounds me that doesn't get filtered out by my preconceptions of how things should be.
_{- from ~Orpheus038}

Mine usually comes from music, or the people I have been speaking to.
_{- from =soulful-tears}

for me it comes from my emotions, what i feel, the joys o my life, that one person who left.. and the void created cause of that, those small joys of life..
how I feel when i hear about something... or when see something... it all comes down to me tring to express those emotions through my photographs...
_{- from ~fahap}

Okay, so it would have to be a real mix of Emotions, Oportunity, what pictures I've seen recently and What Music is playing. It's a pretty random Process. Things can look so different through the lens...
_{- from ~desperate-scribbler}



My inspiration is simply life itself. Just the world around me and how I see it is inspiration enough for me.
_{- from ~NanamiGenji}

Inspiration for any art form should come from what you know. Use your experiences to shape your style- but don't limit yourself! Play outside the box; if an idea, no matter how crazy, strikes- just go for it!
Remember, it's all about trial and error!
_{- from =x0megster0x}

My inspiration for photographs comes from within.
_{- from ~freaKinfritter}

Seeing something that's just amazing; something that makes your jaw drop. Whether that's seeing somebody else's pictures, or seeing something incredible in real life. That's what keeps me going.
_{- from ~isaacster39}



I seek the beauty in the world around me. To find that one piece of light in the darkness that surrounds the monotony of daily life.
_{- from ~RhiannonNyx}

sometimes from seeing things - other times from my imagination...
_{- from *Cyclops22}

contrasting elements in everyday life.
_{- from ~scorpion2kpk}

Comic books
_{- from *hallopino}



my inspiration comes from within me, my emotions and dreams.Sometimes you just wake up and know what to do
_{- from ~Mirreii}

Ever since I first picked up my camera, I've discovered a new way to see the world...for one thing, I actually SEE at it: the lines, the shadows, the colours, the angles, and the beauty of them all working together in harmony. SEEING is what inspires me.
I also recommend browsing through devart or photography portfolios for inspiration. Don't copy, but take a good look at the techniques being used and the way that the photographers SEE and capture their subjects... Whenever I see a magnificent piece of work, it always inspires me to improve myself and be a better photographer.
_{- from *ellegabri}

The world around me. Bad or good, ugly or beautiful, everything has a story. I like to try to capture a moment or two of those stories in images.
_{- from ~okwari}

Anything and EVERYTHING around me is inspiring. From the food we eat, the animals around us, HECK, even the dust on my computer desk inspires me.
_{- from ~munkiichyan}



I can't limit my inspiration to just one source, but thus far it has been: Interest in subject (scenery, person, activity, etc); desire to create something artistic and esthetically pleasing; spontaneous reaction to something that moves me.
_{- from ~Kicks02}

I like taking ordinary things and adding a little magic to them
_{- from *CodeAires}

from the heart, outta my wishes, day-dreams, night-dreams, emotions i go through, secrets, music.
_{- from ~Gremlina}

From my sick head he he.. nah! from every day living.
_{- from ~netamorfosis}



Inspiration comes from many sources, mainly:
- Music
- Travel
- People around me...
Just travel the world with open eyes, there are gorgeous pictures waiting to be taken everywhere...
_{- from *spliffy}

Music, dreams, and thinking outside the box
_{- from *SilentEchoDesigns}

From my five senses. Sight, sound and touch are the obvious ones I suppose, but they aren't the only place inspiration can come from. A lot of people might not even think that things like smell or taste can bring inspiration but they do all the time. The smell of a passerby's perfume can be just as inspirational as seeing the woman wearing it, and tasting a deliciously sweet candy can certainly put some ideas in anyone's head I'm sure. Photographers have to live life with their five senses wide open waiting for the next bit of inspiration that's going to hit no matter where it comes from.
_{- from =onnawufei}

Inspiration for me can best be described as my Optimism and my Cynicism getting together in a smoky bar and having a few shots of fixer.
But seriously, I just take pictures when I feel like it, and process them when I feel like it (the time between varies).
_{- from =CleverConveyence}



the world inspires me as i expire.
_{- from ~spinning-rooster}

I rarely know until I see it.
_{- from ~clfry}

What I see and how I see the world has often been a topic of conversation with people close to me from the time that I was a child.
Finding the camera, I was able to express the way I find the world and in that the deeper understanding of who I am in it.
For me, photography is as much a spiritual journey to self as it is an art I create.
_{- from ~drowningwoman}

within myself
_{- from *GrayDay}



From what I see and what it makes me think. Also when I see something interesting, or new.
_{- from =Tootsiekitty}

People in general inspire me.
Its why I rarely photograph models unless they are really interesting people..
_{- from *agonybliss}

Sexual curiosity.
_{- from `kentsoul}

I've always prefered, among the 5 senses, the one of the view. I can't help looking anything everything everywhere, blinking my eyes in search of strong experiments. The camera came later like a natural prothesis...
_{- from *siamesesam}



my depression
_{- from *starrysurrealism}

Understanding the mystery of women, celebrating femininity in all facets, capturing experssion and beauty of presence and essence and preserving it against time.
_{- from *nocturno}

Fact is that I consider myself more a lucky walker and less an artist/photographer. I have my camera with me and use it every time something interesting is crossing my road
_{- from ~icstefanescu}

I get inspiration from music as well as seeing objects in a new light.
_{- from =pink-and-overrated}



My inspiration usually comes spontaneously, when I least expect it, after 1am, and also, it comes when I don't have a camera nearby!
So I get inspiration in all the wrong moments, but I keep pencils and paper with me all the time.
_{- from ~TheFidoDidoGerbil}

almost anything, everything, if not nothing.
_{- from ~Bigaysining}

from all kinds of placesdepending upon what I am shooting
For models, I try to come up with a concept first--music, movies, TV, politics, social issues, other works of art, the model (their ideas or just their look)
Landscapes are all about what I see when I am out exploring, the moment, the subject, capturing a moment in time
_{- from *Gray-Line-Studios}

sometimes i dream up these images, and i spend hours trying to recreate them
other times i get inspiration from the way i feel, what is happening,blahblahblah
or sometimes i just come across perfect shots
_{- from ~naz-rxqueen}



I get most of my ideas from talking with the models, unless there was something that I saw, a painting, a scene, or just talking with someone, I'll call up a model and run it by them...
_{- from *WrongState}

From seeing something particularly unique. Listening to music. I can be inspired by anything I can see, its just a matter of mixing it with motivation
_{- from *damnson}





Thank you to everyone who took the time to talk about their art and inspiration. This was Part 2 of the Inspiration article. If you'd like to see Part 1 you can find it HERE. If you want to keep up to date with these articles, photography resources and artist features, and contribute to the collective gallery and future polls and articles add *PhotoLust to your devwatch and get involved.