Recycling.

I think there's a misconception about art that I've had, which is important to point out in order to further understand how it works. I always talk about art as an act of creation. But what it really is is re-creation. This all makes a lot of sense since, unfortunately, we are not God, so we aren't able to make something out of nothing. Rather, we convert something into something else. It's like the laws of thermodynamics, how the total sum of energy in the universe can neither be increased nor decreased; you cant can't create new energy or destroy it, only convert it. The same goes for Art. It's recycling, really, and I don't mean that in a pejorative sense at all. It's taking what's already there and rearranging it into something new, or at least giving it the illusion of newness, and the reason why art is so poignant or illuminating is not because it's concepts are new, but because it points towards something we always knew was there, but never recognised it. It shows us something in us--terrifying or awe-inspiring, or moving, but not altogether unfamiliar.
It's a humbling thought, knowing that ultimately you, as an artist, are not the source, but merely the vehicle, the conduit, for the inspiration, the art, for something greater, or at least something other than yourself. It's humbling but it's also empowering and relieving, because it takes the daunting task of God off our shoulders, and we are given license to use what's around us, to use what's already there to make our art. So if I'm ever in a struggle to find inspiration, all I need to do is take what's there.