Starting with the dictionary meaning of both, Motivation means ‘a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way’ whereas Inspiration means ‘the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative’

Motivation is something which builds your mindset, it gathers your senses and pulls you up from laziness and inactivity to do something, to achieve something, to build something. It is a force which wakes up your sleeping mind to get going. It doesn’t let you sleep until you have achieved your dream. It is a first step which helps you in achieving great success. When you are motivated you are restless, energized. You work harder than usual, and it feels like you have done nothing much but it is just you have discovered what you are capable of doing. It shows you what’s your worth.

A motivated mind is a highly energized mind which can be taken into any direction. Inspiration gives that direction.

Inspiration is like an idea. An idea which tells your mind to be creative. It is a like a path which you want to follow but in your own way. You dream about that idea. Here it is all going inside your mind. An inspired mind doesn’t do anything but is still. But that mind is creative. And when that mind has created something based on that very idea, it becomes motivated. You want to show the world what you have created which motivates you. Now, this initially inspired and now inspired plus motivated mind is ready to roll.

In short, inspiration is a seed and motivation is water. You can sow many seeds but you need water to let them grow.