Maybe by documenting my frustrations and successes, others will know that they are not alone.  I have also learned very valuable lessons through other people's mistakes.  I often have to force myself to be social even when I'm feeling timid and I am always happier for it.  Of course, mistakes are always part of the learning process, but it's always helpful to network and get as much information about something as you can or else it can really co$t you. 

It has been about 9 months since I first had my epiphany and realized how many decorating problems my new invention solved.  In the same month that I discovered it I quickly auditioned for the show American Inventor in Texas.  I had a very rough, but functional prototype and thought this could be an opportunity to fast track through the entire invention process which I knew nothing about.  I knew that my invention had great marketability potential and believed that someone had to be blind not to see the amazing benefits of my design.  When the producers finally gave me a big fat NO, I was crushed.  Although I knew the chances were slim and tried to prepare myself for the possibility of rejection, I was still in utter shock and disappointed in myself.  It didn't matter that all of these other great inventions were rejected as well as mine.  It didn't matter that some of the inventions that were approved were more troublesome to use than existing methods.  All that mattered to me at the time was that someone didn't see the value in my invention. 

Since then, I learned that I had to really believe in myself and in my invention in order to make it work.  No one was going to believe in me if I had any doubt in my own products.  I needed to have an unwaivering commitment to the value of my invention.  I started to get into the mindset of what it is to be an inventor and eventually took on the title myself.  It didn't matter that I had no experience or products yet; I was still an inventor.  There is so much power in the way we label ourselves, much more than the labels other people give us.   I began reading everything I could get my hands on that had to do with inventing.  I subscribed to magazines and RSS feeds, joined several inventing groups, and started to participate in blogs.  There is still so much for me to learn, but you would be surprised how much your experiences can help others, even if they seem minimal to you.

 So where am I at now?  I will have a full patent completed and filed by march 2008 and am thinking about auditioning for Everyday Edisons.  It seems to be a much different show than American Inventors which seemed to be more exploitative than promotional.  I cannot wait until that patent is filed so that I can disclose my design to the world.  Regardless of the outcome of the Everyday Edisons audition, I plan on refining my product, getting it manufactured and attending trade shows starting this year.  I also plan on making them available for purchase online.  I found a manufacturer in China, but I am looking for a better, more ethical way to make my products.  I would like to be a "green" company as soon as I can afford to offer such products.   That's all for now, and I couldn't find spell check on here in case you were wondering...  Please feel free to share your thoughts! Thanks!

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