My Lego love affair

I was introduced to Lego as a child in the late 2000s, through loose bricks sold in a similarly shaped red bucket. My brothers and I built a myriad of creations from these unassuming plastic pieces, a welcome reprieve from artistically stifling academics, Lego was a fun communal activity. However, Windsor’s Legoland theme park, and Manchester’s Legoland Discovery Centre were disappointing - it was time to move on.

Or so we thought. We were gifted Lego’s Stranger Things set during quarantine in 2020, at the height of our need for stimulation. What better way to spend time together than by revisiting our favourite pastime? The build was complex, with a hefty instruction booklet - a far cry from the free-for-all we were used to. Yet, the structure of the Lego set was calming, the focus the assembly required helped quell our restlessness and anxiety.

Credit, Lego Photo mureut @ Flickr

We weren’t alone in using Lego to escape. Lego’s global sales rose by 7% in the first half of 2020. Singer Joe Jonas told the Wall Street Journal that he and then-wife Sophie Turner “got very into Lego building” during lockdown. Jonas was laidback, transitioning into providing “moral support,” while Turner had a methodical approach. Like her, I also took Lego more seriously.

I discovered Lego’s Flower Bouquet and Bonsai Tree sets through viral social media posts in 2021. The bonsai tree evoked nostalgia, emblematic of The Karate Kid - a favourite film of mine. Pink cherry blossoms could replace the bonsai’s green leaves, reminding me of The Vamps’s album Cherry Blossom - the soundtrack to my first semester at university.

Lego launched ‘Adults Welcome’ adverts in September 2021, and their Botanical Collection rapidly became marketable to couples. A friend from university bought her boyfriend a pair of Lego roses for Valentine’s Day. In 2023, popular TV show Abbott Elementary depicted teacher Gregory giving his girlfriend Amber a Lego Flower Bouquet set - also on Valentine’s Day - due to her allergy to real flowers. This highlighted Lego’s newfound popularity among adults, and its capacity to be a thoughtful gift. Lego’s Bouquet of Roses, released earlier this year, even has a gift tag printed on the box in readiness for gift-giving.

A further example of Lego's uncanny ability to replicate nature. Credit, Balon Greyjoy @ Wikimedia Commons

For me, building Lego sets has become a quietly empowering individual tradition, listening to a podcast while doing so provides a more introspective experience. Miley was right, I can buy myself flowers - and I can build them too.