Photo: Sad Tomato
One day, French postman Ferdinand Cheval tripped over a stone when he was out walking. He was so inspired by bizarrely-shaped stone that he went back the next day to the same spot and began collecting rocks. Cheval was inspired to create a building out of the beautiful stones and went on to spend 33 years building the "Ideal Palace" (or "Palais idéal" in French).
Links: Official website | Ferdinand Cheval [wikipedia] | Article at Off the Map at PBS
Gallery of Images at Spanish Wikipedia Entry on Ferdinand Cheval | Sad Tomato