Intuition is the beginning of creativity, it lets the muse in.... then what? This is where a process, a creative process helps. Inspiration is next. Wrap inspiration around your creative idea and watch it grow, mature into something truly amazing. Here's how to make it count.
Inspiration is a subset of your life's influences. We are all influenced by many things. Some in the past, some in the present. The inspirational influences I am talking about here are the ones that relate to the original intuitive idea.
Here is a list of influences worth considering:
Personal story, history, interests, places
Connections to other disciplines such as literature, science, sport, dance
Purpose: artmaking for private or public audiences
Maker: individual or collaboration
Genre: still life, landscape and portrait
Approaches: Realism to Abstraction, 2D or 3D, functional or non-functional
Education: self taught, Atelier or BFA
Gather these and you connect the dots. Inspirational influences are unique to each creative idea and each creative person.
Take time to ponder and acknowledge what has inspired you. Allow these influences to come to the surface. Deciding the importance and hierarchy of these influences will come later. For now, inclusion is key to pollinating creativity.