Well, it’s been quite awhile since my last entry so I thought I’d take the time to fill you in on what’s been happening lately. I’ve been working on a lot of different invention ideas, finding parts, experimenting with different combinations, drawing, drawing, drawing and building lots of 3D models. Some are for current searches, a couple are for the next casting call and then I have a few that just don’t fit anywhere quite yet.

I love inventing, it really keeps my mind going and gives me a huge break from the day to day chores that always need to be done.

In my last entry I talked about my Successful Failure, well I accidentally miss-wired that project on the follow up and while I still think it will work I just haven’t been able to get myself to pick it up and have another go at it since that mistake. I have moved on to other ideas that came to mind and do plan on getting back to that one, just not yet.

Sometimes it’s hard to put all that time and energy into something and then know the mistake you made but just not have anymore left in you to do the whole thing over yet again. It’s a very tiny complicated wiring job with lots of connections and soldering to do and at this point I’d love to give it to someone else to physically do it. The creative part is over and I’m not great at the technical part when it comes to electronics. I think that’s why I’m having such a hard time with it and have shelved it for awhile.

Anyway, I have completed one of my entries for the casting call and it works great, kids will love it I hope! I have made 2 prototypes for the Lifetime Brands search and am working on a 3rd idea. Unfortunately I can’t build a prototype of the third one so it’s back to 3D modeling on that one.

I am also running out of time for the HS search which I will be entering one Travel item idea into.

I’ve gotten pretty adept at building things that don’t exist out of found parts. It’s a real challenge sometimes to figure out what piece of what machine can be used in a totally different way it was ever intended to be used as. I’ve also gotten pretty good at telling sales people what I’m looking for without feeling like an idiot when I have to say I’m working on a prototype for a new invention and that’s why I don’t really care if it comes with this or that. I’m going to cut this thing apart and destroy it anyway so it doesn’t really matter.

I’m starting to run into the problem where I just don’t have the time to make my best ideas happen and it’s getting hard to stay up until 2 in the morning to make the time. I’m sure a lot of you can relate.

I’m so glad my father-in-law has a full set of tools, and an eye for detail that I just don’t have the patience for. He has helped me numerous times with building final prototypes. I come up with the idea and the plans and then he takes the time to cut out the parts and build them with my direction. It works great and it is a huge help.

Edison Nation asked me if I could make a prototype of one of my submissions recently for the ASOTV search and there is no way I could have possibly done it on my own and had such a perfectly functioning prototype in the end as quickly as they wanted it.

It was a work of art and I have to tell you it is really cool to see something that was only in my head actually working the way I designed it to and working really well. I am so proud of that invention and really hope the EN crew can make it real.

As far as Everyday Edisons the show goes, I would have thought I would have been back down for more filming by now and to see a prototype but no luck on that front. So far I was only down the one time. There have been some interesting developments though. I can not go into detail, but I’m sure it will make for some good TV! I actually got a call from John M, asking for a favor and follow up call from Todd S. the president of Edison Nation asking for my help on the project.

It made me feel really good that they wanted my help. It was nice to actually be included a little on what was going on down there with my idea. Because of the show though they only told me the bare minimum so I still have no idea what my invention now looks like, or how it operates or who will be the vendor etc… They needed a little help with the presentation and a technical aspect of the invention. I do not know if what I sent them will help them or if the already explored the ideas I came up with, because they are like the CIA down there. It was just nice to be included and feel more like it’s a team effort and not just that I gave them an idea and I’m out of it.

No matter how good a company is, or how much you trust them or have faith in them it is so hard to just let your idea go and then hear nothing at all and be out of the loop while it’s being developed.

I see being chosen for the show as a pivotal moment in my life. A very important chance to try to make my dream of inventing full time a possibility. I have devoted my spare time since making it onto the show almost completely to nurturing my ideas and trying to invent more. I want to show the EN crew that I have a lot more to offer and with the phone call I received from them I think they see that and that is better than anything I ever could have hoped for.

Years from now when the show is over and this is all just a distant memory I hope that I will still be in contact with Enventys and working with them on the next big idea. If that can happen I will be very very happy. I have to tell you too that if I’m still cashing royalty checks from that very first idea, that will just be icing on the cake!