I agree that the "ass-in-chair" mode is the best way to access inspiration. External input can be helpful, even inspirational, but day in, day out, just doing whatever it is you want inspiration for, while not so romantic as a visitation by the/a/one's muse, is the best way I've found to surprise myself out of the mundane. I think my own bigest inspiration gag is the fact that I tend to lose confidence in my abilities: for some (often not very obvious) reason I will begin to think my voice is not worthy of the music I love to sing, or that while the last article I wrote was pretty good, I'll never be able to write another. I can almost always get past this type of stopper with the ass-in-chair routine. I suppose that's why the discipline of daily writing, or practicing an instrument, or whatever, is so important to growth and fulfillment of the creative process.