.....This one is a hard one to answer,I been following this topic......for me I did the modeling thing starting back in the early mid 70's when us kids would go to the local drug store and buy a kit for a few bucks and rush home to build it and I got a little more into with the hobby in the late 80's and by the mid 90's right before I quit the hobby I was getting just a lil' above novice,trying different things but never really "WOW'd" myself.
Started following the forums here a few years ago when I was kicking the idea to start back up again and who was my inspiration????....my case it was more like who(s)....it was some of the members right here in this forum...the few that got me to go wow!!!,really?...Hmmmm I gotta try this,I need to learn more....are people like Mark D. Jones, the attention to his detail and all overall,this is why he is the "Master", Dave Zinn, his detail without all the "Bling"and when I saw his first semi truck he did,I was just blown away,I went out that weekend and got my first victim, Dr. Cranky ,for his weathering/rust and just his flat out "used junk"look made me just want to do this to just about all my next projects in some form or another, Harry Pristovnik for the idea that using cheap acrylic paint from Michaels isn't only cool and price saver but also such a huge choice of colors....these are just a few members that really come to mind that made me really want to do better and try different things and ideas to make my projects much better AND enjoy my project even more.
I also have to say I have learned so much from other members here as well,just too many to mention,being that there is so much talent and ideas its just overwhelming and thats the beauty of this hobby and the Internet today,we can learn from builders all over the world.....now if some of us could learn to take criticism as a learning tool without wanting to make it a bash fest,because without the constructive criticism how can we learn to improve.....just my two cents....