How I Find Inspiration as an Artist: 3 Habits That Changed Everything
- AiTommy
- Nov 26
- 4 min read
Hi guys! It's me, AiTommy✨️
Today, I want to talk about something that every artist, whether beginner or professional, struggles with from time to time: finding inspiration.
If you’re animating a scene, building a comic panel, or sketching a tender moment between characters, inspiration doesn’t fall from the sky (tho we wish it would). It grows from what you observe and feel.
Here are three ways I find ideas and references to keep my art moving forward.
Which Matters More: The Quality or Quantity of Inspiration and References?
Quantity—absolutely. I can say this with full confidence.
When it comes to inspiration and references, quantity matters far more than quality.
Of course, analyzing one excellent art slowly and carefully has value. It helps you learn the structure, technique, and rules that make this masterpiece a masterpiece.
But if your goal is to gain inspiration or come up with more ideas, you’re far more likely to spark something new by consuming a large amount of material, even if some of it isn’t “high-quality.”
Think of it this way:
Which director is more likely to create interesting films: someone who proudly claims that “I don’t watch other people’s movies,” or someone who watches tons of films of all kinds, studying and absorbing everything?
The same goes for finding ideas and inspirations for arts like illustrations, comics, or animations.
You don't need to do anything special. Watch movies. Read comics. Read books. Visit museums. Try new experiences. Walk down a street you’ve never taken before. Enter a shop you’ve never visited.
Small actions like these can lead to new inspiration.
And social media platforms will help you find those inspirations. They are not your enemy. It’s a friend that can turn into an enemy if misused, but it can also become a powerful ally.
Study the works of artists you admire. Like their posts, leave comments, and engage with people.
When you do this, the algorithm begins to understand that your account is art-related, and it may start recommending other great artworks to you, instead of all the drama and controversy you didn't even know about or care about😳
And there's a huge plus―if you do those things, the algorithm will push your work to people who enjoy similar styles.
When you use social media apps, don’t scroll mindlessly. Like the art you admire. Ask yourself, “How can I use this in my own work?” Study why the piece pulled you in.
And while you’re doing that, there’s another very important thing you should start building…
Build an “Idea Bank”
If you’ve never heard this term before, it’s exactly what it sounds like: a place to store your ideas.
I use many different tools depending on the situation—a physical sketchbook, notebooks, Pinterest, Milanote, Notion, PureRef, and Google Keep. The good thing is, almost all of these apps are free to try, so feel free to experiment!
Here’s the truth about ideas: Ideas don’t rot. You can store them forever like savings.
But unlike money, ideas do get forgotten. No matter how brilliant the spark is, it will disappear if you don’t write it down.
That’s why you need a bank.
Save links to art you love. Make quick sketches. Write down prompts, phrases, scenes, and colors on those apps I mentioned.
This small habit turns into a powerful creative engine.
For example, I’m planning to publish my original novel(The Princess and the Blade) soon, but the initial idea came to me more than five years ago.
And my PPGZ fan comic? These OCs were characters I created back when I was in middle school!!
Ideas can sit for years and still bloom into amazing projects later. Let them marinate. Let them age. Let them come back to you when the time is right.
But there’s one tool more important than any app you can find. And that is…
Always Carry a Sketchbook (Yes, Always)
I think I talked about this topic before... Almost every professional artist repeats this advice, and I’m repeating it too: Carry sketchbooks and notebooks everywhere.
I keep two or three cheap pocket notebooks with me because sometimes I lose one in a bag(then find it later)🤣. I keep a memo pad by my bed and a giant sketchbook in my workspace.
The goal is to make drawing and note-taking feel as natural as brushing your teeth.
When inspiration hits, jot it down. When a scene comes to mind, scribble it, even if it’s ugly. When you want to doodle, doodle.
Don’t try to make a “beautiful” or “aesthetic” sketchbook, even though that's super tempting. Because once you try to make a “perfect” sketchbook, you are now afraid of messing up. But staring only at your own sketchbook won’t get you very far.
These notebooks are not for social media. Messy notes and chaotic doodles are not a problem. They’re the foundation of future masterpieces.
In conclusion...
Gathering inspiration and generating ideas requires time. It's unrealistic to come up with 100 different ideas in a single day. However, by collecting small ideas over time, you can achieve this.
Remember, even though you have a blank canvas or tablet, you’re not starting from nothing. You can take inspiration from everything you see and feel.
Keep your eyes open to real life, build little libraries of references, lean into the characters you adore, and let gestures guide your storytelling!!
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