Where do ideas come from?

I get my ideas from many places. Sometimes, actually many times, from scholarly articles. But many times more easily from unrelated books. Sometimes I chanced upon a sentence from a book, and immediately I get a sense of how I can write a particular idea or topic or thesis according to its structure or the concept. :)

Also from movies. :) I try to watch movies related to my work because it gives me an experience I never had before and I tend to learn better from something I can relate to. 

When I'm looking for something, seeking to understand something, I find it everywhere. It reminded me of a quotation from the Alchemist:

When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream. (Paulo Coelho)

I t    I think this is one of the ways to keep your your sanity when you're doing graduate study. You cannot get stuck with stale ideas or it quickly becomes a burden. You need fresh ideas from various viewpoints all the time.