Coming up with an invention – the process of inventing

Some believe inventing is a skill, others believe its a talent and then there are those who believe it is a process. I believe it is all three combined with inspiration and sometimes divine intervention. Some of the greatest inventions have arisen from solving a problem, meeting a challenge or fulfilling a necessity. These inventions are typically approached more in a systematic way.

Then there are the inventions that arise by accident. It may be a researcher working on a product who suddenly discovers other properties and realizes they can be used for something else. An example of this is the inventor of post-it notes.

My friend Otto Schmidt has been teaching a workshop and camp on inventing for years. He’s taught to schoolboards in Canada and to individuals. He assures me that he can turn anyone into an inventor through his program.

Most of the ideas for inventions I have come up with have been from solving a problem.  Often the solutions come to me in the middle of the night or as I’m awakening from sleep.

Regardless of what others may think about inventing, it comes down to you coming up with an innovative idea.  It doesn’t really matter how you do it, as long as you do it.  Leave the explanation to the academics – that’s what they do.

Here is a facebook group that is designed to help inventors invent and take their product to market:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=172431744840

What you waiting for – go and invent!