Through art appreciation, viewers are sometimes inspired to express or implement creative ideas. Such an experienceis thought to be important for art learning. In this study, we conduct a questionnaire to examine how art appreciationpromotes creative inspiration in non-experts. We hypothesize that: (a) individual experience of art-related activities andself-evaluation of artistic expression affect creative inspiration, mediated by the method of appreciation of artworks; and(b) the type of artworks affects creative inspiration, mediated by the method of appreciation of artworks. The participantswere 373 adults, who were not art professionals (179 women, age: M = 45.02, SD = 13.45, range: 20-69 years). Thedata are analyzed using structured equation modeling for the two hypotheses. The two hypotheses are mostly supported,suggesting that self-evaluation of artistic expression and the type of artworks (especially classic works of art) influencecreative inspiration, mediated by the method of appreciation of artworks. However, experience of art-related activities hasno significant direct effect on inspiration for artistic creation.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between art experience and artistic inspiration. Focusing on attitudes and behaviors in appreciation and creation as mediating variables, it was hypothesized that (a) the method of appreciation with comparison between one’s creations and others’ creations is the best predictor of artistic inspiration, and (b) art experiences might affect artistic inspiration, meditated by competence in artistic creation and the method of art appreciation. A total of 185 Japanese undergraduate and graduate students completed the research questionnaire. Data was analyzed using multiple linear regression for the first hypothesis and structural equation modeling for the second hypothesis. The two hypotheses were supported. The findings suggest that people with more extensive art experience develop competence in artistic creation and consider their own creations when appreciating others’ artwork. In addition, they experience artistic inspiration more frequently and intensely