I would find myself laughing and wondering where these ideas came from. You can call it imagination, I suppose. But I was grateful for wherever they came from.

In this remark, Tan describes the felt experience of creative discovery: ideas arrive with a spontaneity that can surprise even their author. Her laughter and wonder suggest both delight and humility—an acknowledgment that imagination is not entirely willed or controlled. By saying she was “grateful for wherever they came from,” she frames inspiration as a gift rather than a possession, emphasizing receptivity over mastery. The quote also hints at the mystery of artistic origin—memory, subconscious association, cultural inheritance, and lived experience all feeding the work in ways that may not be immediately traceable. Gratitude becomes a stance toward creativity itself.