I Welcome Myself Back, and You Too

When I touched this site last it was on the cusp of relative greatness. A group of wonderful, eclectic people was preparing to volunteer their time to write and edit. Its channels were beloved and well-trafficked. But at the same time, all was not great. Mainly, we made no money, and I knew we never would. And at a certain point, I realized that making no money was a thing I could not afford.

So I pivoted hard toward making money, and it must have worked because I have money now. And I know a lot more about the ever-spinning cogs that are the journalism business. But I missed the people at Brickinspired, the irreverent humor, the chance to ignore politics to hurl myself, happy-go-lucky, into the world of culture that we built.

Why did I start this in the first place? Well, my affinity for LEGO in particular began when my 8-year-old self won builder’s runner-up at my local toy store using pieces borrowed from a friend. The taste for thoughtfully-crafted media came from my violin studies, when a traveling teacher caused a stir in our masterclass by exclaiming, following an expletive, that I had become too much of a perfectionist to succeed at even the most precise of instruments.

On a deathly serious note, I’m extremely lucky to have one of the world’s biggest audiences of adult toy collectors around the web only a button press away. Although people know the brand more than they know me as the individual responsible for it, I can say with confidence that I never took the position lightly, and I recognize a certain responsibility to lead and nurture the culture that all of us have built. It is to that end that I welcome myself back, and you too, I hope, to the new iteration of Brickinspired.

Other sites cover the more limiting news beat of product reviews that I would rather not clutter my columns with. Instead, expect semi-infrequent but well-penned must-reads from me as well as short notes breaking down trending topics insightful to collectors young and old. Much like your creations and collections, you can also shape this site with your own handiwork, as I will accept, edit, and publish opinion pieces from readers that are well-voiced and which provide value to the community.

I’m proud to say that editorially, the brand’s relationship with any other company (i.e. The LEGO Group) is non-existent. I have always believed (and stated in my editorial policies) that affiliating with any particular consumer brand would hinder good journalism as opposed to helping it. I hope the results prove me right.

Much love from your Editor,

Antonio Dodson