It’s a big and visually interesting world and there can never be a shortage of ideas for paintings in my mind. 
I constantly see the potential for a painting wherever I may be. I always carry a sketchbook and pencil
and do lightning sketches of anything that grabs my attention.  I also carry my digital camera with me all the
time so that I can capture an image instantly and print it out as soon as I get back to the studio.

The thing that keeps me motivated is always wanting to get better and better at painting. I want to move
on all the time, learning from everything that I've done. I want every painting to contain a new discovery;
so I want to avoid repetition. I feel that I am developing but have far to go and much to learn and one
day I may create the painting I envisage in my imagination. I tell myself; 'keep painting and the magic
will come', and my motto is, 'if you don't change direction, you may end up where you were headed'.

Overall, I would say that the best thing is being able to make a living by doing what I love to do.