Six Tips to Inspire Your Inventive Mind

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No matter what else you identify as, all members of The 8 Percent are inventors in our own way. Sometimes the ideas just flow, but how can we continue to invent when the tap starts running dry?

Below are examples from six world-changing inventors that we hope will inspire your inventive mind.

Grace Hopper – Be Curious

Before establishing herself as a visionary in the development of computer programming, Grace Hopper spent her days working to understand anything that captured her interest.

One early example came in the form of an alarm clock she discovered in her home at the age of seven. Curious to know how it worked, she pulled it apart. Then she found another, and pulled it apart. Then another. Hopper’s mother later found her surrounded by the internal elements of seven different clocks.

Archimedes – Recognise That Understanding Strikes at Any Time

We’re not sure just who exactly was around to hear Archimedes’s famous cry of “Eureka!” as he stepped into the bathtub. What we do know, though, is that the principals of hydrostatics were uncovered by such a simple action. Imagine what else could be learnt if we took a little more time to take stock of the world around us.

Nikola Tesla – Let Need Inspire Innovation

Tesla is known for a great many things, and was responsible for a great many things besides.

What is not so well known is that much of Tesla’s work was undertaken for humanitarian purposes. He had grown up in Croatia, where he saw much suffering. Undoubtedly, he was a genius, but it was his desire to improve the lives was a major driving force behind his endeavours.

Steve Jobs – Follow Your Intuition

Need is not want.

Steve Jobs knew the difference. He understood that if he asked consumers what they wanted, by the time he’d built it they would have moved on to something else.

Instead, Jobs followed his gut. The rest is history…that you can easily search for via your iPhone.

Lonnie Johnson – Don’t Be Afraid to Have Fun

Johnson had to work hard to prove his value as an inventor. This hard work resulted in 80 patents, and roles at the likes of NASA and the US Air Force. Today, Johnson is leading revelations in the energy industry.

But what’s his most famous invention? The Super Soaker.

Sometimes it pays to not be serious all the time.

Thomas Edison – Accept That Failure is the Path to Success

“I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

So said Edison as he attempted to design a long-lasting filament for the light bulb, filling notebook upon notebook with reflections on each unsuccessful attempt.

His assistant thought he should just give up.

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