Throughout much of history, poets, musicians, writers and inspirational people of all sorts have derived their inspiration from different places. Mary Shelly (allegedly) wrote Frankenstein while being illuminated by a moon shining on a lake, somewhere in central Europe - or at least, so the legend goes. Regardless of the actual truth of that specific story, it's a fairly obvious fact that artists of every kind derive ideas and inspiration from all sorts of beautiful surroundings and landscapes that they stick themselves in. Let's take one place for an example, and try to determine its artistic merits: St Ives, Cornwall.

For the geographically challenged, Cornwall is an area of England located to the extreme south west. It has great fame as a vacation spot, and its beaches are of no mean repute. The town of St. Ives is located in a small cove on the end of the peninsula, and is a rather quaint little town. For anyone who enjoys the charms of a small, antique-studded little town, St. Ives is an ideal getaway spot. This is especially true if you enjoy the charms of an antique little parish - the parish of St. Andrews is quite picturesque. Still not sure about the charms of the little town of St. Ives? Allow me to exacerbate the charming feeling in the back of your head that you're repressing.

First off, the beaches. Oh good Lord, the beaches. If you're looking for a place to inspire a rousing song that sounds like waves crashing on the shore, what better place to find that inspiration? If you're looking to paint a painting of a sun setting over a white sand beach, there's hardly a better place to get that feel than right here. Unless, of course, you go to the South Pacific. But let's be realistic here. Who has that kind of money? This way, you can enjoy the charms of a beach town without all those pesky 5-star resorts, waving palms and dancing women. But let's be serious here.

If you don't actually live in the UK, then you're in for a treat if you visit St. Ives. Though not exactly the hottest tourist attractions in the country - that would probably fall to London -, it is certainly one of the most good-looking. Like much of Cornwall, you can find a delightful blend of modern and older architecture. This is especially advantageous if you're an artist - or at least aspiring to be one. People say that there's something about the atmosphere of a town that has older architecture that lends a greater artistic proclivity towards its inhabitants. So who knows? If you visit the town, you might paint a masterpiece.