This seems like the easy part of creating an invention center – you just get the supplies you need. The thing is, without a method to the madness, it’s just madness. So here are three plumb line questions to keep you stockpiling instead of just making piles.
Does the material fit into the goal of your invention center?
I know I haven’t brought up the term “goal” in the context of your invention center before, but if you’ve come this far, you probably have a good idea of what yours is already. (If you haven’t read the first two posts on creating an invention center, you can read what it is and Part 1 to get caught up.) If you’re woodworking, you’ll need wood, screws, a drill, etc.
This is the no-brainer stuff to have around. Without a stocked area, you’ll get bogged down looking for that lost paintbrush or copper wire. This is why we’re making an invention center.
How much do you need to get started?
Sometimes the zeal to create can take over, and you end up with a lot more than you need – especially if it’s freebie stock. Like toilet paper rolls. There are tons of art and engineering projects you can do with toilet paper rolls. But if you keep saving and don’t use them, well it can just start to get weird.
There has to be a FULL point. Then move on.
Did you throw a wrench in your plan?
If the answer to the last question is “nope” – then it’s time to find that wrench and throw it into the stockpile! Hear me out on this one. If you want to create a maker’s space, that’s great, but this is a defining moment for your invention center. You want to have something in your invention center that challenges you to break the mold. More than something. A fair lot of things. An acorn from last fall’s hike. A bunch of rusty nails. One red sock.
These are the grains of sand that help your creative oyster make a pearl.
Until next time,
Invent your story
George Washington Carver’s story is nothing short of incredible. He was an African American born into slavery. He was kidnapped and recovered as an infant. At the end of the Civil War, he was freed, and George left home shortly after to pursue education. That’s just the beginning.
Carver faced rejection from schools because of his ethnicity, but he persevered through every trial as he pursued his interest in plants and agriculture. George excelled at his studies, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Iowa State University. A lover of the arts, he also studied painting and piano. After graduation, he taught at the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute and directed their department of agriculture.
He’s best known for his groundbreaking work with southern farmers to plant peanuts and soybeans in lieu of the cotton plants. George was a Christian and gave credit to divine inspiration for his methods in addition to his study and work. Much more than a peanut man, Carver worked with sweet potatoes and saw potential in every plant. The cotton plants and southern economy were in critical condition from the boll weevil and poor soil conditions, and George put his new ideas to work.
The peanut wasn’t even seen as a crop when George W. Carver came to Tuskegee in 1896. After six years of implementing his ideas, the land experienced a huge turnaround and the economy flourished. His breakthroughs changed the agricultural world forever.
Carver received the honor of being elected into Britain’s Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Franklin D Roosevelt came to see him, and he was offered a job by our inventor Thomas Edison to work with him for more than $100,000 a year. Carver declined. He established the Carver Research Foundation at Tuskegee to propel agricultural research and was sought for his expertise by many world leaders.
I think one of the greatest things we can learn from George Washington Carver is not to let anything keep you from doing what you have a heart for. There were people who opposed Carver for terrible reasons, and the entire world would have suffered if he’d chosen to succumb to his oppressors. His intellect, work ethic, faith, bravery, and respect for the arts as well as science are inspiring.
What do you have a heart for, my fellow inventors?
Until next time,
Invent your story
(Sources include but not limited to britannica.com, biography.com)
Every life is a story. Every story has a theme or purpose. In writing, sometimes an author develops a theme and then writes. Other times a theme emerges when the work is complete. In my study of Thomas Edison, who is famous for inventing the lightbulb, phonograph, and motion picture camera, a theme emerged as if it was pre-planned.
I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – Thomas Edison
Perseverance
That famous quote may be the definition of what it means to press through and not give up on a goal. As an inventor holding over 1,000 patents to his name, he wasn’t throwing idle numbers around. Can you feel the fight in these words? He indignantly refused to accept any try as wasted time, and he recognized the value of each forward step.
I’d love to know where he got his grit. As a child, Thomas came down with scarlet fever, had recurring middle ear infections, and suffered hearing loss. Life didn’t come easy for Edison, but he didn’t let that stop him from inventing.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. – Thomas Edison
Oof! If you google Thomas Edison quotes, you’ll find he talks straight about hard work. During his young life, he sold newspapers and candy on trains. He worked for over 3 years as a telegraph operator before launching his career as an inventor. Through these years, he did experiments – that sometimes got him into trouble – and continued to try again and again.
The value of an idea lies in the using of it. – Thomas Edison
Just as we look for the theme or point of a story, Edison looked for the usefulness of the invention. He didn’t use his mind and talents to create idly and be cool. Thomas was a man who saw the needs of his generation, and worked adamantly to bring to fruition inventions that helped to meet those needs.
The result of that perseverance?
He drastically changed the world.
So, inventors, we’ve got work to do. Hike up your sleeves, or put your overalls on. And if your idea doesn’t work the first time, don’t give up!
Invent your story.
This is my second post that studies the lives of inventors. You can learn something useful (that may flip your value system) about Albert Einstein at: What You Didn’t Know You Have in Common with Albert Einstein.
I learned a lot about Thomas Edison on Wikipedia and found the cool quotes in this post at BrainyQuote. If you want to learn more about Edison, these sites a great place to start!
(sources include but not limited to: encyclopedia.com, wikipedia.com)
Until next time,
Invent your story
Researching Albert Einstein could make you feel like an idiot. This incredible physicist developed the theory of relativity, and he laid groundwork for quantum theory, the photon theory of light, the Brownian movement of molecules (I won’t continue). Bonus: he has really interesting things to say.
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.” – Albert Einstein
Not exactly what we’d expect from someone with those credentials. And yet, the truth of these five words can change your life if you let it brew in your brain for a few smart seconds. What do you do when you solve a problem, draw a picture, play an instrument, or write a story?
You begin to employ creative thinking. To create is to bring something into existence. That something comes alive inside of you. It’s said that Einstein thought in pictures, and that was (in part) how he discovered and worked out his theories.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, and giving birth to evolution.” – Albert Einstein
Einstein was a genius. He’s probably most famous for E=mc2. He won the Nobel Prize. He didn’t say the above quote with a chip on his shoulder because he didn’t have knowledge. He found that knowledge falls short. It’s good and important to gain knowledge, but don’t value it over imagination.
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving forward.” – Albert Einstein
Time, space, and motion were all important to Einstein. In order to ride a bike, you must time your foot to push down on a pedal, lift your other foot at the right moment to catch the opposite pedal, and keep going. When you keep moving, you can go faster than you could without the bike.
So, what do you have in common with Einstein?
You have an imagination that is capable of amazing things. Don’t underestimate it! Employ creativity in life. Use your imagination. And keep moving forward.
(sources include but not limited to: nobelprize.org, time.com, wikipedia.com)
Until next time,
Invent your story
Welcome Inventors! Today I am taking a break from inventing to get organized. Messes are more fun – at least that’s my motto. Look at the pic of my first blog about inclined planes if you don’t believe me! That mess was not part of the project – it’s just how we roll some days.
If you are like me, you may not be known for organization – but you can appreciate the value of knowing where things are and where they go. This saves you time, and time is valuable. Let’s invent some space!
- START SMALL: If you’ve ever bought office supplies, hardware or craft materials (very useful for inventors) you get hundreds of little pieces. And that’s nice – except what do you do with the 99 pieces you don’t need for your current project? Get that stuff together, and take a deep breath.
Once you’ve collected your little things, the next step is putting them into containers.
- IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU PUT IT IN: That’s right. You don’t need to take a special trip to the store. You can, but why not re-use old containers? This weekend my mom and I went through some spices to see what was still good – and it turned out many of them had been expired for years.
I dumped out the spices and let the containers soak in a sink of hot water, dish soap, and baking powder. Most of the labels came off easily after the bath. I set them out to dry on a towel.
- KEEP THINGS TOGETHER: After I filled my spice jars with my little pieces, I put them in wire containers. This is completely unnecessary, but grouping your supplies together and keeping them in the same place will save you frustration later. You might even call it an Inventor’s Workshop.
There you go! You’re on your way to your own inventor’s workshop. This is probably the world’s smallest workshop, but I have no doubt that this baby is gonna grow. After all, we’ve only just begun.
Let me know how this was helpful for you. Thank you for visiting my site, now go! ???? Enjoy your day and invent your story.