Stranger than fiction
Want some inspiration for monsters? How about a graceful, translucent angel-looking-amorphous-thing that shoots tentacles out from the top of its head to catch prey. Want something more “traditional” than that? How about a 600 pound duck (realizing that a swan can break a person’s limb with a wing buffet)?
Both of these (and more) are real creatures that Angela has posted about over on her blog. She also regularly features myths and legends surrounding various animals. There is a lot of stuff that is gameable (and she will sometimes point this out). She keeps the blog mostly to keep progress of time that she spends on art. The animal stuff is motivational fun.