Legos Leggo!

The Dark Ages are the time between when you put away the Lego for the last time as a kid and [when] you decide as an adult that it is okay to play with a kids' toy."   -Hillel Cooperman

Hillel Cooperman is a Seattle-based entrepreneur and a Lego enthusiast.  He founded Jackson Fish Market, which is a web software consultancy and design firm.  For almost six minutes, Cooperman gives us a light-hearted, comical recollection of his fascination with Legos.  It seems almost as if it's a slight obsession.  His children even refer to their lifestyle as being "Lego rich."  Cooperman isn't the only Leo enthusiast.  He talks about going to conventions with many other Lego fanatics.  He displayed slides of different remarkable Lego sculptures.  The Titantic, a skyscraper, and a comic book cover were among the ones shown.  He even showed a Lego model of his home that he created.  Cooperman informed us that Lego lovers could also use certain websites to create Lego masterpieces.  He even stated that some people used Legos to make special Lego movies on youtube. 


I can relate to the speech because I was one a Lego lover.  Now, I wasn't nearly the fanatic Cooperman was, but I had my share of fun building experiences.  I remember my mom and I built a Lego house.  I was red and yellow with windows, and door, and even a tree in the front yard.  A funny memory I have is that my mom would always have the windows open.  I however preferred them closed.  Almost weekly we would go through this routine of me closing the windows and her opening them back up.  The funny thing was that I really wasn't aware that she would open them right back up.  I would just happen to walk by days later and notice the windows were open as if someone had just opened them.  They had probably been open for several days. : )


When I think about Cooperman's story of his Legos, I think about myself as an artist.  They both are similar.  With Legos, you're using blocks to create a new world, or a new structure.  With paint and an empty canvas, you're using the paint to express your feelings.  Both take creativity, and require you to follow a few rules here and there in order to achieve maximum success.  Then when the final result is complete, they can leave an audience in awe.  


To see Hillel Cooperman and hear his speech click here.


Sources
http://www.ted.com/
http://www.ted.com/speakers/hillel_cooperman.html
http://www.youtube.com