I recently went to Florida on a trip with my partner and her family. It was my first time in Florida.  I hated working so much and missing out on life. I hated slogging through the work and letting my creative side die. With this break, I was trying to pursue something creative like I did before and find joy in my life again. But I wasn’t feeling inspired. And then I went to the Dali museum.

Dali had been my favorite artist ever since I was a child in art class. I wanted to return to the child-like amazement I had at Dali’s work. I wanted inspiration to be creative and not just a corporate drone. And I learned so much through these silent paintings.

The first lesson I learned was that Dali mastered the fundamental techniques before branching out into his own surrealist style. He had to have the sharpest tools in his toolbox first before he tried to be creative on his own. He took the conventional path of learning the basics slowly.

The second lesson is to try to copy different styles. Dali copied other artists for practice and inspiration, then he added his own touches to them. His copying of styles broadened his own skillset. It reinforces how to approach the first point: master the basics, master what is currently being done, and then expand to something novel.
 

The third lesson is to grab attention. The classic bait, shock, and awe to draw people in. He used sex and controversial figures to get an audience. You can be a master of the craft, but nobody will know unless people see it. How many works of beauty have we not seen because of poor advertising?

Fourth, always be chasing the current times. Take contemporary inspiration instead of looking down and being stuck in old ways. Dali, even in his old age, tried different mediums, experimented with the contemporary styles of his age, and brought his own style to modern developments.

Finally, I learned that Dali thought artists should inspire others. He did that for me. But, as an artist, any artist of any kind, you need to inspire others. I’m still not sure what that means because I’ve never made anything that sparked something in somebody. That’s what I strive for.