A creative journey is set into motion with an intuitive idea. It is inspired by influences unique to the project and person. Exploration goes farther and asks "How do others do this?" "What can I learn from others?" and "How can this understanding help me find my own way?"
Like the list of topics worth considering in Inspiration, take time to explore how others:
Connect to personal story, history, interests, places
Connect to other disciplines such as literature, science, sport, dance
Make art for private or public audiences
Work individually or collaboration
Represent genre: still life, landscape and portrait
Approach: Realism to Abstraction, 2D or 3D, functional or non-functional
Utilize Education: self taught, Atelier or BFA
Finding answers about collaboration from one source and about approach from another then piecing those answers together will ultimately provide unique solutions. Creative ideas begin with intuition and intuition is individual. Inspiration is also individual in the sense that it asks the question "What are the influences in my life experience that relate to my original intuitive idea?" Exploration, focused exploration reaches out and asks the question "How do others solve this creative problem?" This exploration can come from many sources. One source may provide insights about concept, another, the use of media, another technique, another utility. This exploration may include formal and informal sources from local, national and international, past and present creative problem solvers.
Deciding the value and application will come later. For now, for a little while, explore with wild abandon.