Sup Ryoga!
First off, thanks for listening. It makes me feel special. ;3
Now then.. *puts on nerd glasses* there are a couple of different techniques I used for inspiration. The one I use most often is inspiration from the games themselves. As I'm playing, I usually find moments in the games that release some kind of emotion in me and I want to express that to others. I draw that moment in the game but then change it so that I can emphasize the emotion I'm trying to portray. One such example is a pic I drew titled I'm Sorry Anju. When I first played that scene in Majora's Mask and lost, I felt really bad for Kafei, I mean REALLY bad, (Random SMASH puny fourth wall) and I did my best to try an emphasize that sadness.
Another technique I use is inside jokes. What I mean is, jokes that mainly Zelda fans would get. I did this when I drew the pic My Dawgs Playing Poker. Its supposed to be a spoof on the very famous pic of Dogs Playing Poker but all the little hidden things are stuff only Zelda people can appreciate.
And thirdly, if I'm having trouble, usually a request from someone else helps jog things along. This includes requests specifically, art trades, and contests. If I have to follow a "criteria" someone has given me, I try to find the most original and creative way to do such. This is one of the reason I do the Random Art Contest because I want to share that emotion with other artists. Its fun trying to see someone's interpretation of things as well as create your own of the same subject. An example of this is my pic Yes He Even Sleeps With it On which was an art trade with Xinnamin to portray our favorite MM mask.
I hope this has been of some help to you. If you have anymore questions or want me to look at any of your art, feel free to contact me. I loves me some Zelda art and love talking about creating it.