It's Father's Day today and we are releasing a special episode dedicated to our late son Alby, who unexpectedly passed away a few weeks ago. Greg shares how LEGO played a role in their relationship and in the weeks after Alby's death.
Greg sits down with Bruce B. Heller, a US AFOL who went from a successful career in animation to building LEGO commissions full-time. He is also the founder of GayFOLs- a global community providing a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ AFOLs. He discusses some of the discrimination faced by many in the community, and what GayFOLs means to its members. Bruce educates listeners (and Greg) on how they can be allies to the LGBTQIA+ community and shares his hopes for the future of GayFOLs. ***Episo...
In today's episode, Greg chats with Corey D. Samuels, the LEGO STEM Teacher from the first season of LEGO Masters US. Corey talks about how he uses LEGO to enhance students' engagement in his science, technology, engineering and mathematics classes. He discusses his other LEGO projects including his fashion creation, the Brego (LEGO brooch). Corey also chats about starting a charity with his brother Travis called Brothers Who Brick, a project close to their hearts, inspired by Travis’ diagnosis ...
Greg had the extraordinaire opportunity to chat with Nathan Sawaya – former corporate lawyer turned brick artist, renowned for his large-scale LEGO sculptures. Nathan is also a LEGO Master Builder, LEGO Certified Professional AND holds four Guinness records for his artwork! Nathan talks about his successful art career and how his art has evolved over the years. He also gives us an insight into his work helping bring the latest season of LEGO Masters US to the screen and how COVID provided additi...
Greg catches up with Jay Ong, a fellow Aussie AFOL behind Jay’s Brick Blog – an independent LEGO blog that started when social media was just in its infancy and influencers weren’t a thing. Jay shares with us why he finds creating media content about LEGO so fulfilling and what he hopes his followers get from following his blog. Jay talks about embracing the type of LEGO fan he is and his latest project ‘Extra Pieces’ – a shiny new LEGO podcast with another Aussie AFOL, Richard Jones (Rambling B...
Greg chats with the accomplished emiko oye, a US jeweller who creates bold and colourful jewellery using repurposed LEGO. She shares with Greg her LEGO journey - going from having dreams of becoming a fashion designer to having her work exhibited at numerous shows and museums. Greg learns more about the unique qualities of LEGO that make emiko’s jewellery so engaging and how jewellery is considered a serious art form. emiko also talks about how blind luck played a role in connecting her with the...
This episode features Tom Alphin, the multitalented AFOL who runs the Brick Architect website. Tom has authored The LEGO Architect book and Greg learns more about the process of creating a successfully published LEGO book. They chat about Tom’s resources for the LEGO community, such as the LEGO Storage Guide that helps people identify the most ideal way to organize their LEGO collection. Greg also hears more about his favourite of Tom's creations – the LEGO Brick Labels which helps AFOLs locate ...
Greg chats with Marcel Bonnici, an automation engineer behind the hugely popular YouTube channel ‘Astonishing Studios’, where he showcases his astonishing LEGO creations inspired by vending machines – machines that dispense food to even more advanced machines that actually cook the food! Greg learns more about the evolution of both Marcel’s machines and his YouTube channel, and the challenges of balancing practical mechanics with good-looking designs. Marcel also shares useful tips that may help...
In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of LEGO Ninjago, Greg meets with Brayden Nelson and Lachlan 'Jan' Jansen - both who teamed up with two other Day 1 Ninjago friends to create an upcoming documentary called Ninjago 10 years of Spinjitzu: A Documentary. Greg gets a rundown on Ninjago including how to actually pronounce the word! They also share the process of tackling this remarkable project. Brayden and Jan share why Ninjago resonates with so many fans and generally rave on about the awes...
Greg meets with Andrew Tuppen and Damian Hinds, known by many as last year’s runner-ups of LEGO Masters Australia, but their love of LEGO extends much further than the limits of the show. They reflect over their time on LEGO Masters but also discuss how the show has allowed them to launch their own LEGO business, Clicking Bricks – where they continue to spread their love of LEGO with others whilst often supporting valuable community organisations and schools in the process. Greg can’t help but g...
Greg gets to wear his cultural hat this episode as he chats with US Brick Artist, Kate Hunter, known for her striking mosaics, ranging from recreations of 1960s Pop Art to her own original creations. Kate shares how creating mosaics was initially a way for her family to cope with COVID lockdown, and how her mosaic sets spread beyond her home, bringing joy and comfort to other members of the local community. Greg and Kate chat about Kate finding LEGO as her art medium and how the LEGO Art range c...
Greg chats with British AFOL Chris Smith from FC Brickstand, a brick football club from the Buildersliga. Chris explains his transition from recreating football stadiums with LEGO to the creation of a fully-fledged brick football club, complete with fierce competition with other teams, an enthusiastic fan base and a star striker. Greg also learns about the important work Chris does through Pure Brick Studio, a social enterprise via a bricklink store plus creative LEGO studio for people with disa...
Greg is introduced to the wonderful world of GBC (great ball contraptions) after chatting with an Aussie GBC expert, Rohan Beckett. Greg learns how GBCs blend fun, engineering and problem-solving together, including some of the ingenious ways GBCs transport balls from point A to B. Rohan shares the joys but also the unique challenges of engaging in this niche LEGO area. Despite GBCs being one of the more popular displays at conventions, Greg hears how exhibiting GBCs can feel like wrangling 100 ...
Welcome to For the Love of Brick’s first episode for 2021! To launch Season 2, we are releasing a special episode in celebration of this week’s Brickvention, Australia’s LEGO fan convention hosted in Melbourne. Greg hears from a collection of AFOLs who share their fondest experiences of Brickvention. Common themes of community, creativity and sharing their love of LEGO with their peers and the wider community are throughout this little episode. Special thanks for this week’s guests: Bailey Fulla...
In this final episode for 2020, our first ever Christmas Special, we finally learn more about our host, Greg McDonald, and why he thought we needed yet another podcast in this world! We hear from previous guests on how LEGO helped them through 2020, including Greg’s own tale of how LEGO helped him survive self-isolation due to a COVID scare. Greg basically thanks the entire world for the podcast… but seriously, thanks to all our guests, listeners and everyone involved in helping make For the Lov...
Greg chats with Loretta Sanford from UNLEASH (United Network of LEGO Enthusiasts in Senior Housing) – a program that brings the joy of LEGO into the lives of older citizens residing in senior housing. Greg learns about how this innovative program challenges many of the unhelpful assumptions made about older adults’ capabilities and their interests. Loretta also shares the many benefits citizens gain from participating, and how LEGO can be used as a tool to combat bullying in this group. To learn...
Greg meets up with fellow Melburnian, Richard Jones, the editor and curator of ‘The Rambling Brick’. Richard shares how his unique take on LEGO eventually resulted in the creation of his long form LEGO blog. Richard introduces us to Bill and Mary- two minifigures first featured in the 6000 Ideas book, and shares his extensively researched speculation about their appearances throughout the years! Richard and Greg discuss their shared enthusiasm for the return of in-person AFOL events. Check out R...
Greg chats with Shelly Corbett, a fine arts photographer who has made a name for herself in toy photography circles, mostly for her stunning LEGO minifig photographs. Shelly shares with Greg some of the ins and outs of toy photography and why people should consider going on a toy photography adventure themselves! She also enlightens Greg with some very useful tips in transitioning from simply taking photos of plastic toys to capturing photos that make your toys feel alive. Want to take your toy ...
Greg meets with Henry Pinto, whose official title is LEGO Masters Australia 2019 Champion- one half of the winning team with LEGO partner, Cade Franklin. Henry shares behind-the-scenes stories from the set including how Henry’s building style was initially unsuited for the competition, and how Cade and Henry's building styles luckily complimented each other. Greg and Henry have a serious geek out over mechs, and we learn more about Henry’s techniques for building his popular robots. Henry also r...
In today’s episode, Greg sits down with Kevin Hinkle, a talented freelance artist who took a twelve-year detour away from his artistic career to work for LEGO Group. He reflects over the early beginnings of his career, earning slightly above the minimum wage in a LEGO store, to eventually working in LEGO community management covering the North, Central and South America. Kevin also discusses his LEGO comic about LEGO fans, ‘Bricks in the Middle’. We learn about the advantages of being known in t...
Greg meets with Alex Johnson, a young UK AFOL who is the founder of the popular LEGO blog, Tips&Bricks. Alex shares the humble beginnings of creating this blog in his mid-teens, armed with just a laptop, to how it’s grown into the hugely successful blog it is today. Alex discusses what distinguishes Tips&Bricks apart from other LEGO blogs and gives us a deeper look into the running of the it. He also shares the challenges of growing the blog and his team, and reflects on his vision for h...
Greg gets a lesson in LEGO Technic today whilst chatting with Charbel, a young French LEGO Technic builder who creates amazingly detailed cars and gearboxes. Charbel shares with us why he primarily builds with LEGO Technic and some of the challenges of being able to create those perfect shapes and mechanisms. He discusses the process behind building his creations and what car is his dream build. You can view Charbel’s creations (and his sweet video production skills) on his YouTube channel ‘Char...
In today’s episode, Greg chats with Tim Johnson, the creator of New Elementary - a popular website dedicated to discussing LEGO new parts and techniques. Tim discusses how New Elementary started from a small gap he discovered in the LEGO media landscape and how it has evolved over the years to where it is today. Tim also shares some of the diverse LEGO projects he has been involved in over the years, ranging from volunteering with the charity, Fairy Bricks, to even releasing a series of LEGO cof...
Greg chats to Derek Tulluck aka The Brick Counselor, an elementary school counselor who uses LEGO in his everyday work. Derek discusses why he incorporates LEGO into his counseling and some of the innovative ways LEGO enhances his sessions. He discusses channeling his experience and passion for LEGO into producing his first brick-based counseling book. Derek also shares how his latest LEGO Ideas proposals were inspired by his love of Disney and Pixar. Check out Derek’s website to learn more abou...
Greg chats with Megan Lum and Alice Finch from The Women’s Brick Initiative. They discuss how they encourage other females to join the LEGO world, and how The Women’s Brick Initiative creates a supportive space for females to create meaningful connections. Megan and Alice discuss some of the barriers that prevent many women engaging in LEGO more actively. They share how The Women’s Brick Initiative works towards equity through various strategies such as holding LEGO and LEGO-related media accoun...
Greg meets with Simon Liu, a Canadian LEGO builder known for his intricate sci-fi builds. He is one of the organisers for two popular LEGO conventions: BrickWorld, Chicago and Bricks in the Six, Toronto. Simon discusses the many benefits of joining a LUG (Lego User Group) and the importance of community for AFOLs. He also shares a few anecdotes on how he injects fun into his builds and the creative ways of engaging and challenging other LEGO builders. Finally, Simon shares when it might be ok to...
Greg speaks with Kieran Jiwa, the Master Model Builder for LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Melbourne, Australia. This episode is a special listen for our LEGO younglings, who tune in with their folks too. Kieran discusses his lifelong journey of working towards achieving his childhood dream and shares his tips about how others can become Master Model Builders themselves. Kieran also talks about what his job involves and the joy of seeing young LEGO fans building their own special LEGO creations. La...
Greg chats with UK builder James Pegrum, one of the founders of Brick to the Past – a dedicated group of AFOLs who combine their love of LEGO with their love of history by creating large-scale and historically themed LEGO models. James gives us an insight into the lengthy process the team undertake in creating these amazingly detailed and epic builds, bringing history to life and sharing these pivotal moments in UK history with the wider community. Please check out Brick to the Past’s website an...
Greg talks with Runa Lindblom and Annie O’Reilly, two LEGO AFOLs whom many Australians will recognize from this year’s LEGO Masters Australia. They share their stories about rediscovering LEGO as adults and how LEGO played a pivotal role in their recovery from their past health conditions. They also discuss today’s growing acceptance of autism in the community and reflect on their own experiences of being autistic women. You can learn more by checking out their Instagram accounts. Runa’s: https:...
Greg chats with Matthew and Paul from BrickBrosProductions, two Canadian brothers who produce YouTube videos that combine their love of LEGO and stop-motion. They take us behind the scenes of their videos, from finding inspiration to delving into the technical side of stop-motion and film-making. They discuss the balancing act of producing their films whilst managing everyday life, and who gets their LEGO collection if they "divorce"! Check out BrickBrosProductions videos and socials: YouTube: h...
