Sorting, Schmorting: Creativity and Chaos

The latest BrickNerd article challenges the conventional wisdom of meticulous LEGO part organization and instead champions the beauty of "Creative Chaos." The author highlights the reality of Adult Fan of LEGO (AFOL) building spaces, defending cluttered tables against the criticisms of spouses and tidy builders. Rather than adhering to strict sorting systems, this messy approach embraces the whirlwind of building custom MOCs for conventions and contests.

The article explores the practical side of maintaining an unconventional building space, featuring a counter-height dining table designed to prevent back pain from standing or sitting on the floor. During intense building sprees for events like Summer Joust, Space Jam, or BrickUniverse Louisville, the iterative trial-and-error process leaves behind three or four unchosen ideas for every completed model. This creative whirlwind often leads to builder's burnout and a cluttered workspace filled with half-built projects that lack immediate motivation to finish.

A key reason for keeping the mess intact is the preservation of "NPU (Nice Part Usage) Part Reminders." When unique, specialized, or new parts are placed into miscellaneous storage drawers, they easily suffer from the "out of sight, out of mind" phenomenon. By leaving these crucial elements scattered across the table as visual cues, builders keep inspiring pieces front and center for upcoming projects rather than losing track of them in deep storage.

While embracing creative chaos works well during active design phases, transitioning back to a clean slate can be daunting after a building lull. When you finally decide to tackle your own workspace and put loose elements away, you might want to organize your collection by grabbing a LEGO storage box or a LEGO display case to show off your completed MOCs.