Where does inspiration come from?

[Sirius]

Don't dream about tik-tok reels and media feeds.

[Sirius]

In Latin, spiritus is defined as “the intake of breath by a god,” literally an inspiration. In Hebrew, God’s holiest name, a name that shall not be uttered it is so holy, is a four-letter Tetragrammaton.....a habit we’d dubbed “Ask the Rabbi,” a more deferential version of Stump the Rabbi.....Here’s what dear Sam wrote in reply: “Yes, the breath of God breathed into Adam (from adamah—earth) is what animates us and is, thus, the Divine in us.
-Barbara Mahany

[andy06shake]

I suppose inspiration is a sort of meeting point for our perception and emotion.

Where something external stirs something internal.

And the result is inspiration.

It comes from within, and from without. 

[Ray1990]

I'd say inspiration comes from thought, maybe that's too basic?

Without consideration I'd say there's no inspiration, that would place inspiration somewhere between consciousness and will.

If I trace my own inspirations they've often came from simple observations or 'random' considerations, mere seconds that evolved into immense (in comparison) physical and mental works. Beyond that things get increasingly complex although I have to note we are a social creature with the most complex methods of communication we've ever encountered, we've got numerous languages to express within and a multitude of methods to communicate.

I often point in the same direction as the religious and spiritual folk but for very different reasons, if we ever needed that initial inspiration I'd be grateful for whatever provided it but since then 99.999% of "the works" have been from human minds and human hands, to say otherwise is shaming our collective history and the countless hours spent on things you or I have probably never considered.

It's easy to say "we're too dumb to have done all this" but the reality is you're never too dumb to contribute. If musings were eggs then we've got a collective hatchery, anyone can sit on their ass and keep relatively warm. Inspirations need feeding and I can't think of anything more ingrained than our ability to do that.

[Bush Master]

With my H&SS background, I think about creativity and problem solving. 

It reminds me of the Edison story, where he would use a steel ball to wake himself up from the hypnagogic state—a dream-like condition between wakefulness and sleep—to capture creative ideas. Scientists have validated this technique, finding that waking in this transitional state significantly increases the likelihood of solving problems and sparking creativity.  

This is my best answer until I think it over and read some other posts.

Edison's Method

• Edison would nap in an armchair while holding a steel ball. 
  
• As he drifted into the hypnagogic state and his muscles relaxed, the ball would fall. 
  
• The sound of the ball striking the floor would wake him up, allowing him to record any sudden insights or ideas that came to him in that transitional state. 
  

The Science Behind It

• The hypnagogic state is a "sweet spot" for creativity, as the mind is able to make novel connections and generate ideas before deep sleep sets in. 
  
• Waking up in this state helps people remember thoughts and ideas that would otherwise be forgotten upon falling into full sleep. 
  
• Studies have shown that people who use this method are more likely to solve complex problems, sometimes tripling their chances. 
  

Validation

• Scientists have replicated Edison's technique in laboratory settings. 
  
• In these studies, participants who napped using this method showed increased creativity and were more successful at solving "think outside the box" problems compared to those who didn't rest, according to Scientific American.