Where do you steal your inspiration from?

I was just at http://www.maxkiesler.com/2009/11/02/jim-jarmusch-on-creativity/ (Cool design related blog- lotsa cool infographic stuff!) Where Max posted a quote by - Jim Jarmusch.that resonated with me.
"“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photos, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent. And don’t bother concealing your thievery—celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean-Luc Godard said: ‘It’s not where you take things from—it’s where you take them to.”
My comment on this...

It's not only what you steal or process into your visual vocabulary, it's how you take the stimuli into yourself and transform it with your own voice. That's where you need to keep watch of your authenticity and motivation. It's good to see things as a child see them, delighting in the nuances.
I also think it's important to be open to all kinds of stimuli because you never know where that spark is going to come from. I'm currently intrigued by the patterns of reflections on building. This hasn't made its way into my work yet, but I'm curious if it will and how.

I'd like to leaf you with the idea that you can make art out of anything!!!

Be sure to click the link to check out more of Christoph Niemann's clever work.

 

Bio-Diversity

via Illusion 360 by Adriana on 11/24/09

Leaf art by Christoph Niemann–he  has his work on  display at “Abstract City” at the The NY Times blog channel.
About the artist (from bio):

Christoph Niemann’s illustrations have appeared on the covers of The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Magazine and American Illustration. His work has won numerous awards from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Art Directors Club and American Illustration. He is the author of two children’s books, “The Pet Dragon,” which teaches Chinese characters to young readers, and “The Police Cloud.” After 11 years in New York, he moved to Berlin with his wife, Lisa, and their sons, Arthur, Gustav and Fritz.

Are you a genuis or is it something within the walls of your studio?

http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html
I loved Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love.
In her Ted talk, she brings up some interesting ideas about what the role of the artist is in the creative process. Are you a vessel? Is God actually doing the creating? Can you check your ego at the door?