Best of BrickNerd - Article originally published February 2, 2023.
For those who have watched The LEGO Movie, you will recall that the “Master Builders” were the characters who freed themselves from the limits of “following the instructions” and instead fostered the power of their own imaginations, building all sorts of interesting things—even double-decker couches.
Despite that message of the original LEGO Movie nine years ago, there are still people who tell me “Oh, I could never be that creative” when viewing some of the MOCs that I have built (My Own Creations). This sentiment comes not only from people who only follow the instructions and build official LEGO sets, but also from many of my MOC-building peers.
Well, I am here to tell you that “yes”—you can be that creative. I’d like to share some of the insights into fostering creativity that I have gained during my years as a MOC-building AFOL. Some of these insights are recent revelations to me that I wish someone would have told me when I was younger. They also aren’t exclusive to creating things out of LEGO and can also be applied to drawing, illustration, and sculpting, for example.
A lot of the insights below came from reading this article on creativity by artist John P. Weiss. It is well worth a read if you would like to indulge in this topic even further. I’d also like to thank Christopher Hoffmann for steering me down this rabbit hole.
Why Should You Care About Creativity?
In my late teens I, along with so many others at that stage in life, was faced with the choice of what type of career education to pursue. What was my future as an adult supposed to be like? It was a tough choice, and maybe not as definitive of one as I thought it was at that age.
Since I was about nine years old, I had always been interested in architecture. I had envisioned myself becoming an architect, drawing amazing buildings as a line of work. But when the opportunity to apply for architecture at the university finally arrived... I didn’t do it. I was scared of the prospect of having a job that would require constant creative output. I just didn’t think I could do it, especially under the added pressure of work deadlines, and therefore I chose another path. If I knew then what I know now, I might have made a different choice.
- “I could never do that, I’m just not as creative as you are”
At that time, I thought creativity was a “gift” that people are just born with. Something that certain people have, but others lack. I know some people still think that is the way creativity works, but that's not what science tells us. There are actually ways to kick-start and boost your creativity.
So let’s have a look at boosting creativity from a LEGO builder’s perspective. Below I will share with you some of the things I’ve learned through my years of MOC building.
Ways to Kickstart Your Creativity
Inspiration Through Experimentation
Like many people, once I finally get some spare time in my day, all I want to do is head down to my building space surrounded by LEGO and start creating something amazing. “Ok, now I finally have time to build. Let’s go!” … and then I just sit there, not knowing what to build or where to start. Most of you know it as the dreaded “Builder’s Block”. Instead of just sitting there, waiting for the muse of inspiration to pay me a visit, I find that experimentation with the parts on hand is usually a good way to start.
The artist Mattias Pilhede explains the idea of fostering creativity through experimentation brilliantly in this clip. Please take a moment to watch this beautiful summary:
- “I just never feel inspired”
For me, that experimentation mostly starts with a single LEGO element that I like and want to use for something. I think it helps to have the element physically in your hand so that you can look at it from different angles. It probably works if you do it digitally as well, but I prefer physical bricks.
Then lay out other elements in front of you. Mix them up. Turn them upside down. Let the shapes speak to you. What do you see? Is it a pillar? A spaceship? A tree? Then add some other elements, start over, or replace elements. Hopefully, you find some shapes that you like—otherwise, just try some other elements instead.
Above is an example of me experimenting with four boat hull elements. This resulted in my SHIPtember 2019 SHIP, which is one of the MOCs I’m most proud of. (Images from my blog.)
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Another example of experimentation. Sometimes you don’t have the parts available, then digital experimentation might help. (images from my blog)
Keep the Goal Fuzzy
I find that keeping your end goal a little nebulous is a very important part of the creative process. If you tell yourself from the start that your goal is to build the perfect MOC, and then have the finished design already clearly envisioned in your head, you have severely limited your creative opportunities.
LEGO can be a frustrating medium, as many times the “perfect parts” for your “perfect MOC” simply don’t exist. As you strive to reach that “perfect goal”, every incremental step of the process will likely lead to disappointment and frustration, because you won’t be satisfied if you don’t reach perfection. Try not having a clear goal of where you are heading instead. Let the goal be fuzzy.
You can have an idea about a shape or concept, but keep it “out of focus”. It will make it easier to keep experimenting all the way through the process and you won’t need to worry about details.
The goal should almost feel like a surprise once you reach it. Because, like Mattias explained in the video clip above, if you keep looking at your project as an experiment, you won’t feel the same attachment to it. Then you will be more likely to allow yourself to remove and/or change parts of it just to see what happens (this concept is commonly known as “kill your darlings”).
For me personally, the MOCs that I am most proud of are the ones that just happened through experimentation and not having a clear goal. I did not bend and force those LEGO parts to my will (i.e. into the “perfect MOC”), but I let the parts themselves continue to guide and inspire me.
Let Your Limitations Lead the Way
Experimentation can also start with a certain color you might wish to use. What elements do you have in that color? Maybe you only have some weird big parts in dark tan? What can you build with those? This method is an example of where limitations can actually be a source of creativity.
What could you build with a limited amount of parts? Here is an example by Dan Ko from Rogue Olympics, a contest where you are limited to a maximum of 101 parts.
The limiting factor of LEGO as a medium is something that I value. I have tried drawing, illustration and 3D modeling, but the unlimited possibilities of those media make it harder for me to create. With LEGO, you are actually limited by the existing elements (albeit a great number of them), and that’s part of the beauty—at least for me. It forces me to come up with creative solutions on how to work around those limitations.
What can you build on a limited footprint? If your only restriction is a 12x12 base, what can you fit into that space? Here is an example by Jonas Kramm.
With this in mind, you could try to set up limitations to spark your creativity. For instance, try building a MOC with only the elements from one set. Another idea might be to keep your build within a limited footprint—such as starting a weekly 8x8 vignette challenge. Or why not just build with a limited amount of parts? Contests often have limits and that is one aspect of why I actually like to build MOCs for contests. Of course, another limit that comes with contests is the deadline, which in itself can be the trigger you need to finish a MOC that otherwise would just collect dust on your WIP shelf.
Sustaining Creativity
Ok, so now that we know a few ways of sparking creativity. Are there any ways to become even better at it? Yes, as you might have guessed, there are!
Practice, Practice, Practice
Every time you perform a task you get a little bit better at it. It might feel impossible in the beginning, but if you just keep experimenting and keep your goals fuzzy you will become better and better at it. Believe it or not, but you can actually learn almost anything if you just practice a lot (like all those advanced SNOT techniques I wrote about in my prior articles).
- ”How can you be so good at this? I could never be this good”
Don’t Cheat With Your Sleep
“Really, what am I? Your mother? Don’t nag on me about sleep.” Well, there is conclusive research showing that regular sleep patterns and sleeping for at least six hours per night is necessary to give yourself the best conditions for a creative mind. Also, if you are tired, after a long day at work or doing your chores, it might not be the best time for creative creation. Go to bed, set an alarm for an hour earlier than you’re used to, and start building before you go to work/school. A good night’s sleep might sometimes be what you need to get your creativity working again.
Get Your Blood Pumping
The scientific research is conclusive here as well. If you feel that you don’t have any imagination or inspiration, try going out for a jog or a long walk. Just clear your head and get the blood pumping. It will give you better conditions for your creativity to bloom.
Furthermore, regular physical exercise will actually stimulate cell regeneration in your hippocampus which is a part of your brain that is involved with creativity and imagination. There are many benefits of regular exercise but if you only need one good reason, increased creativity is one of the finest gifts you can give to yourself.
Schedule Time For Creativity
You could also try to find out what times and which days work best for your creativity and schedule a weekly slot for LEGO building. Scheduling will also make it easier for other people in your home to give you the time you need for your hobby. I myself have one night every week that everyone knows is my LEGO night. It is no surprise to the members of my family that I sneak away and spend some time in my building corner. Just the fact that it’s scheduled makes it easier to accept.
Final Thoughts
As illustrated above, if you want to be creative there are plenty of ways to give it a kick-start, and to give yourself the best conditions to foster its growth. The more that you do it, the better you will get at it.
When I build my MOCs, I am constantly experimenting with parts and trying new things I haven’t done before. For every finished MOC that you see me take pictures of, there are many more that I think are just crap. These are the builds that brick separators are made for, so I simply just take them apart. Others still are “kinda good” but they haven’t led me down a path toward a finished MOC. Those are the “table scraps” that I keep in a pile on my desk, and sometimes they end up in one of my builds.
NOT Oscar’s desk. This is fellow BrickNerd Ted Andes’ desk where he collects table scraps to save and use in future MOCs.
In my own creative process, I have at least 5-7 WIPs (Work-In-Progress) going at the same time. I can work on a WIP for a few weeks, and then suddenly grow tired of it. When that happens, I just put it aside and either start something new or revisit some of my older WIPs. This is a good way to keep experimenting and being creative.
Admittedly, some of my MOCs do start with a “perfect image” in my head, and I try my hardest to reach that vision. As I stated though, I find it is much harder, takes a lot of time, and is mostly not fun to build. On the other hand, the MOCs that almost happen by accident and only take a few days to complete are the ones where the whole process is most fulfilling. Do you have similar experiences?
My final words on creativity are not to be afraid to forge your own unique paths. Build what you like. In the end, the LEGO hobby, and its parts, are yours to shape. You decide what you want to build and how you want to build it. I hope that maybe I have planted some seeds of inspiration in your mind and that you will now start experimenting and embrace your creativity!
What additional tips do you have on fostering creativity? Let us know in the comments!
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