Inspiration To or Inspiration For – Which Is Correct?

We all have heroes, people who inspired us to become something or to do something we’re now proud of. Those people inspired us, and we want to know what’s the correct way to share that story. Should we say they’re an “Inspiration To” or an “Inspiration For”?

Let’s find out!

Inspiration To or Inspiration For – Which Is Correct?

You can say someone is both an “Inspiration To” and an “Inspiration For”. Those forms are grammatically correct and make sense but convey different meanings. “Inspiration To” indicates a general inspiration that positively affected your life. “Inspiration For” refers to inspiration related to a particular project or action.

Let’s take a look at some examples that will help clarify this idea.

• My father is an inspiration to me.
• Jeremy was the inspiration for this movie.
• My teachers were an inspiration to strive to be better.
• My inspiration for this essay was my experience in school.

The examples contain two sentences showing the use of each phrase. The first and the third sentences use “Inspiration To”, which usually relates to a large-scale inspiration, so to speak.

Sentence one is about how a father inspired someone, and sentence three is about how a teacher inspired a person to be better. As you can see, the whole lives of those subjects were impacted by that source of inspiration. In those cases, we use “Inspiration To”.

The second and fourth sentences use “Inspiration For”. Sentence two is about the subject (or story) that inspired a movie). Sentence four is about the “Inspiration For” an essay the subject wrote.

The inspiration, in those cases, relates to specific projects or moments in life and that’s why we used “Inspiration For”.

Keep in mind that in many cases those phrases can interchange, without harming the meaning of the sentences you’re trying to construct. At the same time, it’s important to know the difference between them for instances when you might need to be more specific.

Inspiration To

“Inspiration To” should be used to describe anyone you admire and want to be like. Think, for example, about the people you wish to emulate in your life. Those people are “Inspiration To” you. Major things or events in your life, which have impacted you, can also be “Inspiration To”.

Take a look at some good examples of “Inspiration To” at use:

1. Dr. Hope inspired Keith to become a doctor.
2. Picasso inspires me to create art.
3. Music often inspires people to be creative.
4. What’s your inspiration to keep working in this field?
5. My uncle is my inspiration to work hard every day.

Inspiration For

“Inspiration For” can indicate anyone and anything that gives you ideas for doing something. It’s not as related to a person’s life as a whole, as it relates to a particular project or single moment in life.

1. My mother was his inspiration for the book.
2. Who’s your inspiration for this character?
3. The inspiration for the project came from an experience Paul had in his childhood.
4. I need inspiration for this new project, but I can’t find any.
5. Diana found her inspiration for the artwork online.

Which Is Used the Most?

Which one of those forms is used more often, “Inspiration To” or “Inspiration For”? Take a look at the graph from Google Ngram Viewer below.

Currently, “Inspiration For” is used more frequently than “Inspiration To”. But that hasn’t always been the case. Until the mid-1970s, “Inspiration To” appeared more often, and both expressions swapped places at the top of the graph.

Perhaps, it’s a reflection of the times we’re living in, and that people now prefer to talk about what inspires them as a whole being. Perhaps, it’s a temporary thing and in a while, those phrases will swap places again.

Either way, keep in mind that both forms are grammatically correct, and you can use them to express what are your sources of inspiration.

Final Thoughts

“Inspiration To” and “Inspiration For” are valid to express what (or who) are the sources of your inspiration. Use “Inspiration To” to talk about the people or things that changed your life and inspired you on a deeper level. Use “Inspiration For” for the things that give you good ideas.