The creative process

So how does the creative process work?  Where does inspiration come from?  It's obviously different from person to person, and even project to project, but for me a lot of ideas have been stumbled upon.

Take these two bracelets that I just finished, for example..  The story starts below this picture.

While I was working on my July challenge piece (pictured below), I went to a friend's wedding.  Her new sister-in-law beaded her necklace.  The stitch she used was similar to techniques I had seen in other necklaces and bracelets while poking around the internet.  I should probably figure out what the technique is called... 

That particular necklace inspired me to add the white 'moonbeams' to the necklace, using this stitch I had seen around.

When I finished the necklace, I had a jumble of blue, green, and some red beads which I really didn't want to sort out, as well as a jumble of white beads.  Obviously, the logical choice was to make a matching bracelet.  Well, I ran out of the blue, green, and red before the bracelet was long enough, so I finished it off with the white in that same stitch, and then embellished one end of the blue with a 'moonbeam'.  

I really liked the look of the white circle type thingys on the blue bracelet - not just the color contrast, but the dimensionality of it.  And that evolved into my two newest bracelets.  The turquoise and red ceramic beads inspired the color choices, as well as the creation of two of these bracelets.

Sometimes, I'll come across an idea while I'm making another piece.  I made the earrings below based on a portion of a pattern on a dress of mine.  While they were coming together, I reached a point where it looked like a daisy-type flower.  That wasn't the goal for this pair of earrings, but I stored it away for later.

And I used that 'stumbled upon' technique in these earrings (and a matching necklace).

Then I used it again in this necklace (my June challenge piece)

Anyhow, that's how many of my ideas come about.  One piece inspires another inspires another, I accidentally do something that inspires another piece, and so forth.  It's fun.