Ideas do not grow on trees.

Where do my thoughts and ideas come from?

Mostly, I find that I get my ideas from a visual or image. When I'm intentionally looking for a type of design, I focus on that particular type. It's often when I am not looking for a specific item or idea that I pull in the most useful information. I can look at everything as a possibility for art. The blood diamonds project sprung from a dead deer on the side of the highway. My sculpture often come from a shape or image seen while in transit. In other words, stay away from me on the road because I'm obviously not thinking about driving. Kidding. Mostly.
I think the majority of my ideas I generate from looking at references, modifying and incorporating things I've seen recently and admired. I may take a photograph of an item, not be inspired by the item so much as it's surroundings or it's connotations or remembering where I was when I took the photo.
Or sometimes I have an epiphany while in the shower. You never know. I'm a little random.