Environment Project - Initial Ideas

Now I have a basic grasp of what an environment is and how it's design plays such an important role I'm now faced with the task of creating/designing my own environment!

Eeeek. I'm sure I should be more enthusiastic than I am but theres not been much of value going on in my head lately so I'm concerned anything I come up with could well be complete rubbish!
The first thing I need is a basic idea, something to expand upon. Uuugh.
Some things come to mind;
Jungle
Ruins
Temple
Rivers
Treasure hunter

Futuristic city
Space ships / hover craft
Tall buildings
Lots of metal
Future warfare
At sea
Ship
Water
Rusting metal
Cargo
Abandoned

Bunnies!
The problem I'm having is I want to come up with something interesting and what I'm looking for inspiration in things have already been done.
"Oh I love Uncharted that was awesome I'll do something like that. A jungle theme with temples and ruins, hell yeah!"
But theres no point in that. It's already been done and its already been done better than I could ever hope to imagine it, so that wouldn't be of much use to me. I need to stop getting ideas from games!

------------------------------------------THINKING GAP GOES ON----------------------------------------------
Ok so after a bit of deeper thought I like the idea of doing a slum environment. The run down, overcrowded messy look is interesting to me and I like the look of random bright colours mixed with metal and tight spaces.
A few of my reference images gathered from...oh noes...google!