My post is taking a little twist on “Inventions that Changed the World.” I am looking to the future. When one thinks of inventions, you think – what? Television, the wheel, steam engine, etc.
Merriam Webster says invention noun: something invented: such as : a device, contrivance, or process originated after study and experiment.
I picture thousands of “inventors” daily going about their jobs as parents, teachers, librarians, child care and elder care workers. People who are dedicated to helping others move into the future as successfully as they can. Each day these frontline workers invent devices, contrivances, and processes that assist themselves and their audience toward a better world.
While there is no substitute for hard work, there are resources that contribute to making the job of “inventing” easier. I advocate for the similarity between the arts and sciences and participating in both can enrich the other.
Scientific process from Science Buddies. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/steps-of-the-scientific-method
There are seven steps to the scientific method: Question, Research, Hypothesis, Experiment, Data Analysis, Conclusion, and Communication. Although scientists may modify, reorder, or revisit steps on occasion, scientists generally use this basic logical approach.
Creative process from Study.com. https://study.com/learn/lesson/creative-process-overview-steps.
1. Preparation
2. Incubation
3. Illumination
4. Evaluation
5. Implementation
As you can see, they follow a similar pattern. A question or idea, do your homework (find out as much as you can, make sketches and plans), more research and experimentation, an “aha” moment when it seems to make sense. Then another look at it. Don’t be satisfied with the first solution. Sometimes this process goes on for a long time.
I have used this comparison as an activity because the procedures are parallel. Doing art projects (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) is another way of developing the skills of scientific inquiry in students. With some planning and direction, they can overlap.
You can find many examples in the book How To Become An Accidental Genius by Elizabeth MacLeod, Frieda Wishinsky, & Jenn Playford (also mentioned in two previous STEM Tuesday posts). I found the book to be FULL of good advice and very relevant examples. Although, I did wonder about the use of the term “genius.” One does not have to be a “genius” to accomplish remarkable things. Or even regular things successfully.
Right on page 7 in the book is a super list of “qualifications.” My particular favorite is tenacity. I myself am no genius but I managed to make a creative career for myself in the arts. Tenacity is so important. I never gave up.
The book goes on to give examples. Some of the successes were through persistence, some were accidental, some were by making unlikely connections, or seeing a need and working to fill it. There is no ONE path and people of all ages and abilities can accomplish by setting goals and by being sensitive to the world around them.
As the poet Marvin Bell said, “Art is the big YES.” Aspiring artists and scientists should not be afraid to go ahead. Google says Thomas Edison was quoted as saying, “I will not say I failed 1,000 times, I will say that I found 1,000 ways that won’t work.” There is knowledge and experience to be gained in all endeavors.
Margo Lemieux worked as a teacher, kick box instructor, tee shirt designer, newspaper correspondent, children’s book author & illustrator, cookie packer, craft vendor coordinator, and a whole bunch of other jobs before retiring as professor emerita from Lasell University. She still actively maintains a career in visual art and writing.
Carla Mooney loves to explore the world around us and discover the details about how it works. An award-winning author of numerous nonfiction science books for kids and teens, she hopes to spark a healthy curiosity and love of science in today’s young people. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, three kids, and dog. Find her at 