John,
My comment was not to comment on you in particular but to advance the notion that a well stocked stash can seed the creative process. My stash is not huge but pretty much should keep me in fabric for the rest of my life, only augmenting it with specific requirements for any one quilt I happen to be working on. In other words, 95% of the fabric I need for a quilt I probably already have.
I can go into my quilting room and come out with a fresh design just by sorting through this box or that.
tim