Problem Solving

I'd like to know how other people decide what their artwork is going to look like. Can they describe it to someone else before it's on the canvas? For me it's like solving any other problem; I usually see the solution in the wee hours of the morning when I wake up from a dream or to go the bathroom. I used to see an object that exists or can be extracted from something else but lately I see a texture or a shape and color and then I figure how I can create that effect. It's been really trippy to have something this essential to my process change suddenly. It's more like painting than assemblage. Also, I've never been able to describe what my artwork is going to look like before I build it but, recently I've been able to tell my inquisitive wife what I'm thinking about and how I want to approach it. I've even been sketching my ideas. I must be a late bloomer.