Ideas are starting points-for thought, discussion, reading, viewing, writing, and making. The two "brainstorms on paper" presented in this article illustrate how taking an idea and examining it from an artistic point of view can generate thematic starting points to help teachers and students connect the visual arts to ideas that ripple across the school curriculum. Most of these starting points can be used in more than one subject. For example, ideas that draw on the work of French writer, artist, and filmmaker Jean Cocteau can be used in instruction related not only to drama, theater, or film, but also to a range of subjects, from literature and mythology to religious expression and history. Performance techniques and theater technology are other connecting points. Another example is Margaret Bourke-White's post-World War II photographs, which can be starting points for studying history, war, biography, and portraiture, in addition to photographic technique. Leonardo Da Vinci invented machines (technology) and delved into anatomy, and Durer wrote and illustrated mathematical concepts. Teachers and students alike can use a central idea, stimulated by a particular artist or artwork, as a theme around which to build one or a series of lessons or projects. And teachers of various subjects can use the same starting points to structure different learning journeys. The necessary tools are merely a lively interest and access to resources--ideas and images--many of which can be found on the World Wide Web. To illustrate how teachers might use the visual arts to teach both about art and about other "ideas" in the curriculum, the author explores two sample themes: conflict and the commonplace. Out of these "brainstorms" emerge a myriad of starting points for study and student engagement. (Contains 1 endnote.)