--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Inspiration can be found in a pile of…" description: "\"Inspiration can be found in a pile of junk. Sometimes, you can put it together with a good imagination and invent something.\" — Thomas A. Edison" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/thomas-a-edison-866_classroom_inspiration-can-be-found-in-a-pile-of-ju_1581934.jpg" --- # Inspiration can be found in a pile of junk. Sometimes, you… ![“Inspiration can be found in a pile of junk. Sometimes, you can put it together with a good imagination and invent something.” quote by Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/thomas-a-edison-866_classroom_inspiration-can-be-found-in-a-pile-of-ju_1581934.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/thomas-a-edison-866_classroom_inspiration-can-be-found-in-a-pile-of-ju_1581934.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f4/thomas-a-edison-866_classroom_inspiration-can-be-found-in-a-pile-of-ju_1581934.jpg) > “Inspiration can be found in a pile of junk. Sometimes, you can put it together with a good imagination and invent something.” [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creativity can arise from discarded items; imagination transforms junk into invention. **In simple terms:** Imagination turns trash into useful things. Key Takeaway Look for ideas in everyday waste. Themes creativity resourcefulness innovation Mood inspirational optimistic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - upcycling projects - DIY repairs - product prototyping - art installations Key Concepts design thinking sustainability Questions to Reflect On - What ordinary objects could become a solution? - How can you practice seeing potential in waste? A Different Perspective Not all junk is useful; discernment is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Classroom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/classroom/) [Creativity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creativity/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imagination Invent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination-invent-1348551/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Inspiration Pile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration-pile-5977834/) [Invent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invent/) [Junk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/junk/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) ## Related quotes > [ They \[formulae 1.10 - 1.12 of Ramanujan\] must be true because, if they were not true, no one would have had the imagination to invent them. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-h-hardy/they-formulae-1-10-1-12-of-ramanujan-must-be-true-because-if-they/) [G. H. Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-h-hardy/) > [To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/to-invent-you-need-a-good-imagination-and-a-pile-of-junk/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [I love working with technology because it allows me to follow my imagination and to invent new things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-machover/i-love-working-with-technology-because-it-allows-me-to-follow-my/) [Tod Machover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-machover/) > [Imagination could never invent the number of different contradictions that exist innately in each person's heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/imagination-could-never-invent-the-number-of-different-contradictions/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“…no person, no matter how vivid an imagination he may have, can invent anything half so droll as the freaks and fancies that originate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/no-person-no-matter-how-vivid-an-imagination-he-may-have-can-invent/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [To invent something, all you need is imagination and a big pile of junk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/to-invent-something-all-you-need-is-imagination-and-a-big-pile-of-junk/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I find out what the world needs. Then I go ahead and try to invent it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-find-out-what-the-world-needs-then-i-go-ahead-and-try-to-invent-it/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [The inventor can't do it all, you've got to change people. We have an enormous capacity to invent super-machinery. But our desire to install…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/the-inventor-can-t-do-it-all-you-ve-got-to-change-people-we-have-an/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [I try not to invent things that people don't need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-try-not-to-invent-things-that-people-don-t-need/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others... I find out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-never-perfected-an-invention-that-i-did-not-think-about-in-terms-of/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [We are striking it big in the electric light, better than my vivid imagination first conceived. Where this thing is going to stop Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/we-are-striking-it-big-in-the-electric-light-better-than-my-vivid/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [You can't invent something you have no epistemological access to. In a way, it's all recombination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/you-can-t-invent-something-you-have-no-epistemological-access-to-in-a/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > [“Being a pioneer can be damn lonely, too early, no money, tough, endless, stupid,” Samwer said. “And that healed us. Since then, we basically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sennett/being-a-pioneer-can-be-damn-lonely-too-early-no-money-tough-endless/) [Frank Sennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sennett/) > [When you have a large amount of the workforce being laid off, some of them have no other choice but to go out there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daymond-john/when-you-have-a-large-amount-of-the-workforce-being-laid-off-some-of/) [Daymond John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daymond-john/) > [My wish for humanity is to invent a way to communicate between us and whatever comes next. And in the end that we the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/my-wish-for-humanity-is-to-invent-a-way-to-communicate-between-us-and/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) ## More by Thomas A. Edison > [We are striking it big in the electric light, better than my vivid imagination first conceived. Where this thing is going to stop Lord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/we-are-striking-it-big-in-the-electric-light-better-than-my-vivid/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-will-not-say-i-failed-1000-times-i-will-say-that-i-discovered-there/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Friendship is the heaven of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/friendship-is-the-heaven-of-life/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Even though I am nearly deaf, I seem to be gifted with a kind of inner hearing which enables me to detect sounds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/even-though-i-am-nearly-deaf-i-seem-to-be-gifted-with-a-kind-of-inner/) [Thomas A. 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Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [The brain can be developed just the same as the muscles can be developed, if on will only take the pains to train the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/the-brain-can-be-developed-just-the-same-as-the-muscles-can-be/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [“People who will not turn a shovel full of dirt on the project nor contribute a pound of material, will collect more money from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/people-who-will-not-turn-a-shovel-full-of-dirt-on-the-project-nor/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting I go ahead of it and make trial after trial until it comes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/when-i-have-fully-decided-that-a-result-is-worth-getting-i-go-ahead/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [I remember that I was never able to get along at school. I was at the foot of the class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/i-remember-that-i-was-never-able-to-get-along-at-school-i-was-at-the/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Invention is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/invention-is-10-inspiration-and-90-perspiration/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [There seems to be no limit to which some men will go to avoid the labor of thinking. Thinking is hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/there-seems-to-be-no-limit-to-which-some-men-will-go-to-avoid-the/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Somewhere between the ages of eleven and fifteen, the average child begins to suffer from an atrophy, the paralysis of curiosity and the suspension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/somewhere-between-the-ages-of-eleven-and-fifteen-the-average-child/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [Not only will atomic power be released, but someday we will harness the rise and fall of the tides and imprison the rays of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/not-only-will-atomic-power-be-released-but-someday-we-will-harness/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) [Explore all 345 Thomas A. Edison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) ## More Classroom quotes > [The first responsibility of the Muslim is as teacher. That is his job, to teach. 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I particularly like talking to journalism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-edgar/i-spend-time-in-the-classroom-i-think-more-of-them-aren-t-political/) [Jim Edgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-edgar/) > [If the professor doesn't show up to class in the first 15 minutes, you get to leave. Somebody make that a law, please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-professor-doesn-t-show-up-to-class-in-the-first-15-minutes-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Emotions are classes in the Earth school. Some classes are about fear, and some are about love. The Universe is your tutor, and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/emotions-are-classes-in-the-earth-school-some-classes-are-about-fear/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [Do not go through life like leaf blown from here to there believing whatever you are told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/do-not-go-through-life-like-leaf-blown-from-here-to-there-believing/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [It is not the responsibility of the enlightened teacher to bring the student to enlightenment. That may be true in the classroom, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/it-is-not-the-responsibility-of-the-enlightened-teacher-to-bring-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I'm going to insist that we've got decent funding, enough teachers, and computers in the classroom, but unless you turn off the television set…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-m-going-to-insist-that-we-ve-got-decent-funding-enough-teachers-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [In science, technology, engineering and mathematics, men far outnumber women in the classroom and the boardroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weili-dai/in-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-men-far-outnumber/) [Weili Dai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weili-dai/) > [Let students use technologies in the classroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weili-dai/let-students-use-technologies-in-the-classroom/) [Weili Dai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weili-dai/) > [Teacher:The test is very easy. 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