Inspiration, building slumps, building craves.... buying craves!

[Darth Legolas]

So, as far as I know, there are four types of phases to go through with Lego. Building slumps, or building blocks ( ) where you can't build or finish a MOC at all. There are building craves, where you just want to build all the time and can't stop building, no matter how horrid your creations are! There are buying craves, where you just keep buying official Lego sets because you can't build anything on your own and you need to build something, so you buy stuff. That can also happen when a lot of stuff you want is out. And finally, there is the time when you're desperately searching for inspiration, when you are ready to build something, and do a good job at it, but you don't know what. Everyone of these phases can be mixed, matched, or divided.

Right now, I'm in a building slump. I want to build something Star Wars and motorized, with minifigs. I have the inspiration, yet I can't build it, or buy it. So I'm kind of stuck right now.

Anyway, how do you overcome any phase where you need to build but you can't, or you're overbuilding and nothing good comes out? How do you cope with two jittery hands that long to click bricks together, but are just too shaky?

[lightningtiger]

What you need is that spark !

That spark can be induced by listening to your favorite music or watching your favorite dvd especially if has something to do with what you want to MOC - feeding the mind could unlock the final piece to that puzzle to finish you task.

Good luck !

[Sandy]

Hmm, an interesting theory you've got there.

Going by it, I think I've just transferred from the buying phase to the building phase. I can definitely recognize the other two phases, as well.

This year, I believe I'll be spending a lot of time in the buying phase, though. Prince of Persia, Kingdoms, Atlantis, Harry Potter, Imperial Flagship, the collectable minifigs... Those are where my money is going to go, mostly.

[Modulex Guy]

Ah yes, the various phases... I've been through all of those at one point or another.

Lets see, Builders block, this was/is the worst to go through, no matter how hard you try to build something, you just cant seem to accomplish it, you have the ideas flowing but it just cant seem to come to built the way you want it.

The building crave is what I just went through yesterday, I was watching my favorite anime series and there was a nice house in the background that was just asking to be built, so, I paused the movie, sat down, started building, 5 straight hours later (and this was all at about 1 in the morning) I finished it, all watery eyed and tired, I think it turned out great! (will be posting on EB soon)

And lastly the buying phase... this can be very very... expensive. I have done this lots of times where I just walk into the LEGO Store and just binge on PaB and can easily buy 6 to 8 cups at a time and new sets just to have them. I think this is the hardest to overcome for me because... well, there is just way to many cool sets and parts out there that my brain just tells me "Buy it NOW!"

[Inconspicuous]

My limited finances prevents me from having a buying phase too often. (I guess I'm lucky there.)

Lack of inspiration doesn't happen to me very often, because I have lots of books, maps, DVD's, and pictures for inspiration.

Builder's Block happens frequently to me, and many of my MOCs turn out worse than I envisioned.

Building crave happened to me a few months ago, when I built three supersized LOTR MOC's in around a week.

However, right now I'm in a review craze. I have loads of sets I desperately want to review but I have to finish other review. I probably could have done 5 in the two week break alone!

[user]

Hmmm the same thing happened to me at new years and I was trying to build a Space pirate S.C (Scrap carrier) but ran out of inspiration so I watched "Mars Attacks!" and "District 9" and sure enough I got inspiration and built something I like and will take pics of soon. So I'd watch some of the starwars movies over again to get inspired.

[Oky]

Very nerdy interesting topic.

I get the building craves a lot, especially when I get toward the end of a quarter at college and haven't really built anything for about two months because I don't have time to! At that point, I start buying some new sets to keep me satisfied, and usually it works. And when the finals are finally over, I start building like crazy, but since I am a perfectionist, the quality of my MOCs never suffers under this building craze, or at least not too much.

Fortunately, I have never encountered any of the three other phases, or at least not in an extreme way. I always have lots of inspiration for MOCs from all the cartoons I watch and from all the great creations of fellow AFOLs I see here on EB, and I have a pretty good amount of bricks, so I never have a problem with that. Of course there is the occasional builder's block (not "building block" ) when I get stuck in a somewhat complex construction, but then I try several techniques and find a solution, and that's just always part of the building process anyway.

@ Legolas: Why don't you just take one of your old SW sets and motorize it?

Perhaps we should have a "I have a building slump/block and need help!" thread for people like Legolas to get their inspiration.

[ziljin]

I was going to buy some Army Men on Patrol sets. But I figured I might as well just concentrate on Castle sets. Since that is my favorite theme.

[Milan]

For building something that is unique, you need to have a good plan and very good idea with every single detail. ldraw programs help there.

If you stuck, just get out of the house, go walk, spend some time with friends, listen some music, and when you get back to building with fresh mind, chances are that you will have success!

[Big Cam]

I am definitely in a buying crave, I'm just waiting for all the 2010 sets I want to become available, adn then my wife is going to get pretty mad at me.

[Piranha]

Buying Crave:

Usually happens when I walk into the LEGO isle. This usually is worse when it has been a long time.

Extreme is when it has been a long time and it is the LEGO store

Beads of sweat gather, I get a good feeling and just want to buy it all.