Where do you get your inspiration?

[slovakiasteph]

I'm stuck. I want to build, I keep going into the room where I have my LEGO set up, and I want to build, but I'm not sure what to build. Instead, I tinker around a bit, adding a few pieces to an on-going project that's really mostly done.

So, where do you get your inspiration and building ideas? There's certainly plenty of inspiration here, but how does that end up as building? I see projects I love every day, but that doesn't make me sit down and say "I want to build a lighthouse" or "I want to build a city modular." How do you translate general inspiration into specific building ideas? Do you keep a mental list of things you'd like to build?

Part of my problem might be that I'm limited in pieces; in order to build something cool, I'll have to take apart a building or two that I really love.

Another issue might be that I haven't been at this very long. Also, I mostly like to build buildings, but I feel that limits me sometimes. Last night I took one of my favorite architecture styles, Greek Revival, and attempted a house in that style. It turned out okay, but certainly not great: in fact, I demolished it already.

Any ideas to help me out of this slump?

[obsidianheart]

I mostly build vehicles, not structures, so I find a lot of my inspiration from movies, video games, and comic books. On the whole, though, I find the best source of inspiration can be looking at what other builders can come up with! Fire up google, search random images, look through flickr, moc pages, brickshelf, and this very forum. If you find you just can't get inspired, back off for a bit. Draw a picture, take a walk, read a book. Forcing inspiration can be just as frustrating as not having it to begin with. Above all, remember not to get so distressed about it that you aren't having fun anymore, since that's the whole point.

[Jargo]

I have a folder on my laptop into which I dump endless pictures of interesting architecture and landscapes, mechanisms and machines, textures and shapes. All to give me inspiration at a later date. I also do a lot of doodles before I build. playing with geometric shapes and patterns. Blocking out possible ways to approach a building or vehicle or section of terrain.

It's never what I end up building but it just gives me a nudge in a direction. then once nudged my imagination and fingers take over.

[slovakiasteph]

I think, also, that I prefer challenges to completely open building. I just finished an entry for the spaghetti western contest; that gave me something specific to build. I also made an entry for the LEGO winter contest, but now I'm out of contests.

I like a prohibition or two to my freedom; I think it actually inspires creativity (inspiration born through necessity) rather than inhibits it.

What challenges have/do you set for yourselves?

[lightningtiger]

For me, I started building different things slowly and then expanding my structural designs especially in art-deco, usually it's the suggestions of others or inspiration of their work that spur me on to build.

Brick On !

[Ralph_S]

I have a mental list of the various things I want to build and buy parts and sets with that list in mind, usually long before I start building. There is all kinds of stuff on that list. Ideas can come from any direction.

I moved to the Netherlands about two years ago, after having lived in the UK for a few years. Living in the UK lead to me building a British high street with shops, restaurants and houses, as well as a train and a whole range of cars. Since I returned to the Netherlands, I've been building a collection of Dutch emergence response vehicles -a police car, ambulance and fire engine, as well as a Dutch police helicopter. When I got a new job, working for the defense department, I built a Royal Netherlands Navy helicopter and hope to add a matching air force helicopter too fairly soon.

As is clear from the examples, I tend to come up with themes for myself or make models I build part of a larger project. At the moment I am thinking of building my own little part of an American city, prompted by people on flickr suggesting I build a fire station to house a series of US fire engines that I've built. It'll incorporate various other things I've built over the years, such as a US style diner, but I have a lot of ideas for other things that may go well with it. I already built a train for it and intend to build a brownstone office building. Even if it ultimately doesn't pan out, I'll have fun just thinking about it or just building little things.

A massive source of inspiration has been joining a LEGO users group. I would probably never have started building the British high street if it weren't for a contest organised by The Brickish Association when I lived in the UK. It lead to several members, including me, building a display for a public show that consisted of a long street with cafe corner compatible buildings. I don't know whether there's a LUG near you, but if there is, I'd suggest that you check them out.

[brickmack]

I mostly make scifi stuff, so there tends to be a lot of comic books and movies and stuff that have star fighters and mecha and whatnot. I normally don't build stuff exactly like what the inspiration was, but it's often based on it. For example, I've been working on a ship that looks a tiny bit like the UNSC ship from the first halo game, but then I changed the body shape and bridge and engines. Sometimes I also take an official set (Or a MOC that I've figured out how to build/found instructions for) and strip off all the outside bits and start modifying it, eventually changing it to the point where it is almost unrecognizable as the original.

I think, also, that I prefer challenges to completely open building. I just finished an entry for the spaghetti western contest; that gave me something specific to build. I also made an entry for the LEGO winter contest, but now I'm out of contests.

I like a prohibition or two to my freedom; I think it actually inspires creativity (inspiration born through necessity) rather than inhibits it.

What challenges have/do you set for yourselves?

It wasn't really meant as a challenge (More an annoying problem of odd family relations) but my collection is currently split between 3 different houses, so most of the time I'm limited to the parts I have at each place. This has resulted in me finding multiple parts that can be used for most purposes. Obviously it can get a bit annoying a lot, but I prefer to look on the bright side: I come up with new parts combinations, and I live at the house with 3/4 of my collection.

[Peppermint_M]

Books of artwork covering themes I enjoy, Dark Roasted Blend blog. Films, comics, cartoons, the world around me. I go to museums and look at the exhibits of things I like. These all swoosh around in my head and I build off these images as I MOC.

For structures, go to places known for their architecture. If you are stuck, use google earth or maps to land down in some historic district. If you like challenges, PM me and I can send one

[Cecilie]

I felt I was in the same situation when I got back into the hobby. I didn't know what to build, and when I did have an idea, I didn't have nearly enough bricks of the type/color I neeeded (and I hadn't discovered the wonders of bricklink yet...)

I think, also, that I prefer challenges to completely open building. I just finished an entry for the spaghetti western contest; that gave me something specific to build. I also made an entry for the LEGO winter contest, but now I'm out of contests.

I like a prohibition or two to my freedom; I think it actually inspires creativity (inspiration born through necessity) rather than inhibits it.

What challenges have/do you set for yourselves?

This is actually what sparked it all for me. Contests. I entered the vig contest for the series 1 collectable minifigures, and after that, I had the idea to build a vig for every figure in the series. That way I had to focus my creativity to solve a given problem. Now I'm up to 64 vigs for 64 figs and counting . Vigs is also a great place to start if your collection is small, and as time goes, and your collection grows, you can move onto bigger things . I have entered many contests since that first one, and every time I enter a contest, I feel that I broaden my horizon in terms of what types of things I feel I'm capable of building, and also what themes I actually find interesting to build in that I hadn't thought of before. Now I have a long mental list of things I want to build, but just haven't found the time to yet .

[slovakiasteph]

Thanks for your comments, everyone! That first night I posted, I remembered a few pictures I'd saved and went off to build one of those! Cecilie, I was just looking at your vignettes yesterday!

I took down a few buildings (gasp!) and have started to work on a Slovak town-- so anything that doesn't fit my interpretation has been demolished.

Well, I guess I should say Slovak town and countryside because most of the projects fit into that category. :)

[K-Nut]

I usually get my inspiration from mostly messing around with parts, looking at sets and seeing if I can make my own completely different version, and these indexes. I recently built something heavily based on one of ACpin's MOC's. I never plan before I build, and that may be why I have the building skills of a ten year old.

[dr_spock]

I get my ideas from looking at construction sites, highway traffic, truck stops, etc. I get inspiration from the old 1980s Lego catalogues. I want to build to that era and style.

[slovakiasteph]

I get my ideas from looking at construction sites, highway traffic, truck stops, etc. I get inspiration from the old 1980s Lego catalogues. I want to build to that era and style.

As I'm driving around, I find myself thinking "could I build that out of LEGO?"

Yay, someone else who likes classic LEGO! I find many of my buildings end up looking like they were built in the 1980s...

[jmupton2000]

I have started to concentrate on either recreating classic 1980's City vehicles from existing parts I have from my childhood or creating new or adapted vehicles based on the same principles.

Just the other day I found about for the first time about the 1980 '6390 Main Street' set and downloaded the instructions from Brickfactory to recreate the maintenance truck:

I only used original old parts (much scrabbling about in a huge bin of old forgotten about Lego bricks duly resulting!) except for one thing, there appears to have been a sticker for the centre radiator grille so I used a modern 'profile brick' instead. Also put together the correct configuration minifig to go with it all be it with the more modern production of the traditional smiley head.

Then I found some loader parts and so went and recreated 6630 as well:

This is starting to get addictive!! Just wish the current yellow bricks produced were the same shade as the 1980's versions, its annoying!!

[slovakiasteph]

I have started to concentrate on either recreating classic 1980's City vehicles from existing parts I have from my childhood or creating new or adapted vehicles based on the same principles.

I like that maintenance truck! Sigh, classic LEGO...

I've built a few of the classic LEGO houses... 6372, 6370, and 560. Got the instructions off Peeron.

[TheWarden]

Part of my problem might be that I'm limited in pieces; in order to build something cool, I'll have to take apart a building or two that I really love.

One small tip that helps me, is to take photos of everything I make before you demo it. Digital shots are free of course, and you never know when you might want to reuse a previous detail you accomplished, or what you tried and didn't really work, color schemes you used, or whatnot.

Helps to remember where you've been, you know?

[slovakiasteph]

One small tip that helps me, is to take photos of everything I make before you demo it. Digital shots are free of course, and you never know when you might want to reuse a previous detail you accomplished, or what you tried and didn't really work, color schemes you used, or whatnot.

Helps to remember where you've been, you know?

Thanks, I've started doing that! Just in case... I want to go back and recreate a project. I'm glad that photos are free nowadays! Whenever we wanted to take pictures of our LEGO creations when we were kids, I think my mom thought we were crazy...

[HighFlyer]

I get inspiration from:

- Real-life objects, and their design

- LEGO official sets

- MOCs and MODs from other people

- Building tips from various sources