Congratulation, ky-e - and welcome to the 10K club! This cool Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Avatar Returns creation is sure to excite any fan of the classic show. If you're a fan and want to find out more about this creation, you're in the right place!
ABOUT YOURSELF
- Who are you?
You can just call me ky-e! Pronouns are they/them or she/her.
- Where are you from?
Salt Lake City, United States.
- How old are you?
24-years-old.
- What do you study or do for a living?
Whatever I can! I do odd jobs to get by and devote as much time as I possibly can to whatever topic I’m currently looking to study. Right now, my main focus is on the wonderful topic of biogeography!
- What hobbies do you have?
I like to mod video games when I can, with the hope of eventually making my own games! Other than that, I spend a good amount of time either gardening or cooking (most of that time is spent planning new recipes, or what to plant next)!
- Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website that you can share with us?
You can find me primarily on Instagram and Flickr.
- Have you created any LEGO MOCs (my own creations) that you’re particularly proud of? What is it, why are you proud of it and do you have a photo of it?
I try to only make models that I’m truly excited about, so I’m usually proud of all of them in some way or another! I’m just happy to be building something that I love, and I think that really shows through in my models.
- How and when did your interest in LEGO come about?
I’ve been interested in LEGO products for as long as I can remember, I suppose I’ve always just loved building things!
- What is LEGO for you? What does it mean for you? How does it fit in your life? E.g. build, display, meetups, play the games, or 'just' watch the cartoons.
For me, LEGO building is a wonderful outlet! It’s been a huge source of stress relief in my life, nothing makes my worries disappear like pulling out my laptop and building a new model!
- What is your favourite LEGO theme (current or past)? Why? And has any theme inspired your building style or preference in any particular way?
I really like the old Exploriens space theme! It was short-lived, but it was basically a full theme of scientists in space; it ticks a lot of boxes for me! I make a lot of models based on the Star Trek franchise, which is a very similar concept.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set ever? Why?
I have wonderful memories of playing with non-LEGO zoo or safari playsets at my grandmother’s house when I was a child, so the moment I saw the recent LEGO City Wildlife Rescue Camp set, I was in love! It’s incredibly nostalgic for me.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
It’s hard to choose, but I use the 1x1 round plate with the bar sticking out of it almost religiously.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
The list is honestly too long to go through right now! I have a folder of inspirational MOCs that I keep on hand whenever I need a little help getting the creative juices flowing. I wish I could name every builder, but there are just so many!
- Is there one or more particular LEGO-related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
Flickr to browse new MOCs.
ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I watched Avatar: The Last Airbender for the first time when I was younger, and it made a huge impact on me. The lessons and morals taught in this show would stick with me for the rest of my life, and I wanted to help spread the message through LEGO bricks!
- How long was the process of making the project did, and what did you have to research as well. What kind of prep, research and design phases did you go through to produce your creation?
The project's creation process took over a month of work, I believe. I tried to put a lot of thought into the play features while staying true to the source material.
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
My main challenge was trying to keep the hull of the ship nice and smooth, without it requiring a ton of parts. I’ve made similar ships before, but never in a playset format! I’m a real stickler for accuracy, so I had to fight myself a few times to ensure the ship remained a playset and not a scale model.
- If you could talk to yourself before you started on this project, what would you tell him? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
I would tell them to be patient. It was a little discouraging to see other Avatar projects soar past mine after all the work I had put into it. But I got there eventually, and in the end, that may help my project stand out!
- How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time? And how did the build time compare to the time you spent promoting your Product Idea to reach 10,000 supporters?
The building process probably took a few weeks. The promotion process was definitely longer! I can whip up a model in a matter of hours or days sometimes, but promoting myself has never been my strong suit.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
I believe it took about 15 months to reach 10k votes! I was involved with the first Cuusoo project to reach 10k votes back in the day, the LEGO Minecraft project, so it feels really nice to have another project reach that goal as well! Very validating of how far I’ve come as a builder.
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
The model uses around 1,800 pieces.
- What is your favourite building technique or part/section that you’ve incorporated into your Product Idea?
I really love the little propellers/rudder I put on the back of the ship. They’re simple but charming.
- If you built your model digitally, what software did you use to build and render your model?
I built my model in LEGO Digital Designer and then rendered it in the free modelling program Blender.
- If you used custom stickers or prints for your design, how did you create them or where did you get them?
These were really fun to make! I used the free vector-drawing program Inkscape to make the designs.
ABOUT LEGO IDEAS
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Play to your strengths!
- What (if any) methods did you use to advertise and attract support to your Product Idea?
I’m not really the best person to ask when it comes to advertising, but I used basically any social media site I could.
- What is your favourite LEGO Ideas Product Idea (besides your own of course)? Are there any Product Ideas you think have been overlooked?
I can think of a few I’d like to see get more recognition:
TRADITIONAL WOODEN NOODLE CART; STUDWAVE AQUARIUM; JOHNNY THUNDER - THE LOST TEMPLE and LEGO INSECTS - What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
I think it’s the excitement of it all that attracts me! I love coming up with concepts and “pitching” them to the community. I think people should just find an idea that they’re really passionate about, and go all in.
- Do you have plans to submit any other Product Ideas in the future? If yes, can you give us a hint of what that might be?
I’m not really sure at the moment, but here’s hoping!
