Inventors don't always just set out to invent something. And those who do invent things often take very different approaches. But if you want to look at the world with an inventor's eye, the "Invention at Play" exhibit offers these suggestions:

Find opportunities in obstacles

Keep an open mind

Improve on the original

Change the rules

Do what you love

Try something different

Believe in yourself

Recognize the unusual

Keep tinkering

Find inspiration by observation

Be persistent

Find a dreaming place

Know your audience

Communicate with others

Try it yourself

Unstick your thinking

Borrow from nature

See the possibilities