Why do you Lego?
The thrill of the build. Takes me back to my childhood. A separation from the digital and the electronic world. The seemingly unrelated pieces that when put together create something beautiful. The nostalgia. The fun, almost cartoon-like interpretation of a real thing.
These are a few of the reasons that I love to build Lego as an adult. Not every reason applies to each build, but each build plays on a different emotion. Star Wars sets take me back to watching the original trilogy with my family as a kid. Holiday sets give me a festive build to focus on during the various seasons throughout the year. Creator sets allow me to experience the variety of several designs in one set.
Like many adult fans of Lego, I am extremely busy with a family, career, side hustle, chores, and the list goes on. When I get a few quiet hours a week I like to spend it with a Lego set. My backlog of unbuilt sets is growing constantly, so the task to pick what to start building can be a little overwhelming 😂
But once the decision has been made and I settle in at my table with a fresh set, the fun can begin.
My dark age saw some moments when I came up for air and then went under water again for long stretches. When my son was young, I wanted so badly for him to enjoy Lego but it just didn’t peak his interest as a child (however, I’m proud to say he eventually came around as a teenager…better late than never I suppose).
My interest then was purely nostalgia and I just thought star wars sets were freaking cool. But now as a busy adult, when I get a couple spare hours it’s become therapeutic. As I've aged, the more I realize I need to make time for myself, for recovery and mental clarity. I wish I would have stumbled upon Lego’s meditative effects earlier in my life.
So I’ll ask again…Why do you Lego?
I realize the word Lego is a noun but sometimes I make it a verb. I tell my family, “I’m gonna go Lego, I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”
I have two methods of building Lego
I build in silence. No TV, no phone, only building. When my mind is scattered all over the place, building Lego in silence has become a form of meditation and helps calm my mind. It allows my subconscious to work its magic while my caveman brain follows directions. It amazes me every time the ideas and solutions to problems that pop into my head while building in solitude.
Or I build Lego while watching TV, or something on YouTube (usually Lego related), or a movie I’ve seen a hundred times that I don't have to pay total attention to.
Either tactic serves a different purpose based on what I want to accomplish with my free time. Regain my sanity or do some multitasking and catch up on a show. I’ll admit it does get a little difficult to focus on both mediums fully. I’ll get caught up in the show and realize I skipped a step or two on the build🤦🏼♂️
Bottom line, building Lego a few hours each week before bed allows my mind and body to wind down simultaneously, leading to a great night's sleep. It sure beats doom scrolling, which of course I still do from time to time, but I try to do that during daylight hours. How else would I watch, read, and interact with all the creative Lego content out there? That’s also when I learn about all the new sets I want to add to my backlog, haha.
76023 The Tumbler from 2014
This set has been in my backlog for over 10 years but is dangerously close to getting built.
For those that invest in Lego, this is a cautionary tale as well. I bought two sets in 2014 thinking I will sell the second one in the future to cover the cost of my personal set. Well in 2021, Lego released a similar UCS Tumbler 76240 that totally killed the value of 76023.
I’ll ask a third time, I want to know why you Lego?
Are my reasons similar to your reasons? Or does building Lego serve another purpose that I’m not aware of? Drop me a comment below or shoot me an email by clicking here.
Until next time AFOL’s….