Stealing from anyone creative?

Looking at the work of others doesn't just mean looking at the work they have produced, but also how they got to the final outcome. I decided a good place to start would be with other people, whether in the industry or not, who enjoy making/creating anything, even if they aren't famous or supported by millions they too must have some still have a thought process and be inspired. I decided the easiest way to get a broad range of answers was to ask anonymously online using 'Yahoo Answers,' a website where you can ask and answer questions, and put it into a category. I chose to put my question into 'Arts & Humanities.'

  My question:

"I would like to know who inspires you?
How you begin thinking about ideas - where do they come from?
Do you use any critical theories/concepts in your work?
I'm doing a project and need to look at artists way of thinking, and who says you need to be a big name to be creative? So I'm asking on here."