I was thinking visual art, but I haven't written a single thing in months... how different are they, really, when you're thinking in terms of finding inspiration.
with visual art... I'd suggest it's easier to implement and explore ideas, rotate it various angles, flip it, invert it, etc to recycle the piece and create something new...
to take apart a toaster and decide to use each piece as a guide... perhaps combining technical drawings with an artistic aesthetic or literally using each piece in the piece... science projects gone wild. mixed media is open to anything...
Alexander Henry
Alexander Henry - Homecomes to mind, too, a lot of revamps and original work based on some classic and vintage fabrics/aesthetics...
'course one could just go touring of the blogs reviews, tumblr galleries, the consumer markets, the gallery and fashion trends, or skim down to the least popular sections, random searches... etc...
usually people have some idea of where they want to go -- even if it's just the thought of a colour they want to use, a concept they want to explore, a thought... feeling... sensation.... they want to express and bring into a tangible form.
I suppose inspiration for stories can be sought the same way, though it is generally easier to delve, dive into those early planning stages of an art piece... and don't get nearly as much flak for using/building upon a workshop piece as one would with a story.