Simply create a folder action script, move the scpt file to /Users/user_name/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts and apply it to a folder:
The content of the script is:
on adding folder items to thefolder after receiving theAddedItems
repeat with eachfile in theAddedItems
tell application "Finder"
make new alias file to eachfile at folder "Main_Volume_Name:Users:user_name:Desktop:Inspirational:"
end tell
end repeat
repeat with eachfile in theAddedItems
tell application "Finder"
move eachfile to folder "Main_Volume_Name:Users:user_name:Downloads:"
end tell
end repeat
end adding folder items to
With Main_Volume_Name: the name of your volume (e.g. Macintosh HD – you don't have to escape spaces!) and user_name: your short user name.
Save the scpt to /Users/user_name/Library/Scripts/Folder Action Scripts/ with the name "alias - add alias instead of moving files.scpt".
Now create a folder "Inspirational" on your desktop and a folder "intermediate" somewhere else.
Right-click the folder "intermediate" and attach the above script to the folder:

Drag both folders to the dock. You may apply convincing icons to be able to tell which is which. If the folder action is activated, applying an icon to the "intermediate" folder will already create a file named _icon alias (or similar) in "Inspirational" folder. Please delete this file. In the example below the rose indicates the "Inspirational" folder and the chalkboard the "intermediate" folder
To create (an) alias(es) in the folder "Inspirational" drag one or several files and/or folders on the "intermediate" folder:

The aliases will be created in the folder "Inspirational" and the dragged files will be moved back to "Downloads":

You can't use only one folder, because this will invoke an endless loop: as soon as a new alias is created by adding a file to the folder action enabled folder, the new alias will be aliased itself too (because it's another "new" file). This would be repeated until your Mac dies!