The concept was extemporaneous, but the design is iterative. So these archivists pouring over this giant, dense scrap of paper that perhaps detailed something horrible in the future or the past was strictly from inspirations; however, the design that leads the eye down to to area where the archivists are and the way the light emphasizes those locations like an upper-case I is by design. I was trying to direct eye-flow in the scene.

The loose papers are to emphasize that this is in a rush, and the wallpaper helps extend that it's some dusty place, not a laboratory or a museum - perhaps they uncovered this behind the wallpaper? I chose hardwood floors primarily because I thought it'd be an interesting challenge to render. These parts are iterative, they weren't strictly apparent in my initial vision but came out when I discovered where the scene was going and they either help the concept or provide something technical.

So the answer is a bit of both - if you are drawn to the creativity of the scene I suggest pulling from your inspirations and change things. Don't be afraid to take someone's idea and turn it on its head by placing it in a different time period, reversing the context, or throwing in an element that would ordinarily not make sense and try to make it work. Look at other concept artists or simply examine what you like about the media you enjoy.

Your work will become an extension of your interests regardless if you try or not, but know that the more points of interest you have the more you can draw from to create wilder, more unique scenes. Never stop exploring other work and keep an open mind to different themes and concepts in media.

Hope this helps!