From “The Discipline of Inspiration: The Mysterious Encounter with God at the Heart of Creativity” by Carey Wallace
To explain inspiration as a product of the unconscious molds some obvious attractions for an artist.
First, it’s wonderfully flattering. Under this theory, an artist is no longer the victim or devotee of a mysterious external force. Instead, we are the absolute author of all our work.
Not only that, but the elements in our work that seem foreign to us – better, wiser, fiercer, stronger than our own thoughts or life – no longer expose our limits. Instead, they reveal our hidden strengths, a glimpse into our rich inner worlds.
This explanation also matches our experience. The voice of inspiration speaks within us. We have built no machines yet that can measure any other origin. A scientific age must always choose the simplest explanation. If the voice speaks inside us, that is where it must come from.