A Brick-by-Brick Breakdown With Michael Savage from New Canaan, CT

In a world where stress levels are higher than giraffe necks and social media keeps us more plugged in than a coffee maker on a Monday morning, one simple pleasure seems to transcend age, gender, and the tendency to accidentally step on painful objects: LEGO. 

Those colorful, interlocking bricks of joy have a secret power that goes beyond their ability to make you curse like a sailor when you tread on one barefoot at 2 a.m. 

But what exactly is it about LEGO that brings such universal joy? 

For some, Lego is a financial investment. For others, it’s a craft with the psychology behind this phenomenon that means turning an Everyday Joe into a master plastic architect.

The Joy of Creation: From Master Builder to Master of the Universe

At its core, LEGO taps into a primal part of our brains: the joy of unleashing creativity with LEGO collecting. Remember when you were a kid and you built that wobbly tower of blocks, declaring it the tallest skyscraper in the world? 

Or perhaps you constructed an elaborate fortress that could withstand an attack from an army of toy dinosaurs? 

Building with LEGO gives us that same rush of accomplishment, minus the fear of a T-Rex invasion.

For adults, LEGO provides a rare opportunity to play in a structured yet imaginative way. It’s like being handed a tiny, colorful version of a blank canvas, where the only limits are your imagination and how many times you can tell yourself “just one more brick” before bedtime. 

Creating something from scratch, whether it’s a detailed model of Hogwarts or an abstract sculpture that vaguely resembles a duck, triggers the release of dopamine – the “feel-good” hormone – giving us a natural high without the need for kale smoothies or yoga.

Mindfulness in Miniature: The Zen of LEGO Building

In our fast-paced lives, finding moments of mindfulness can be as elusive as finding a matching sock. Enter LEGO, the unexpected hero of relaxation. Focusing on fitting those tiny pieces together forces your mind to slow down and concentrate on the task at hand. It’s like meditation but with more plastic and less chanting.

Each click of a brick is a step closer to achieving a goal, providing a satisfying sense of progress. Unlike assembling IKEA furniture, where instructions might as well be written in hieroglyphics, LEGO instructions are designed to be clear and intuitive. 

Following these step-by-step guides allows for a structured, almost therapeutic experience. You can practically feel your stress melting away with every correctly placed brick, though that might also be from sitting too close to a space heater.

Social Bricking: The LEGO Community

LEGO also has a knack for bringing people together. Whether it’s parents bonding with their children over a new set or a group of AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) geeking out over the latest Star Wars kit, LEGO fosters a sense of community. Building together promotes teamwork, communication, and the occasional debate over whether a piece is truly “sky blue” or “azure.” Spoiler alert: it’s probably just blue.

Even solo builders are never really alone, thanks to the vast online LEGO community. Websites, forums, and social media groups provide endless inspiration and support, proving that no one has to go through a brick crisis alone. 

Sharing your creations and seeing what others have built can be incredibly rewarding, unless you stumble upon a 10,000-piece replica of the Millennium Falcon and question all your life choices.

The Nostalgia Factor: Reliving the Glory Days

For many adults, LEGO is a delightful trip down memory lane. Those little bricks can transport you back to a time when your biggest worry was whether your mom would let you stay up past your bedtime to finish your spaceship. 

Playing with LEGO reconnects us with our inner child, allowing us to relive the pure, unadulterated joy of creation without the adult pressures of deadlines, bills, and the existential dread of why we exist.

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, and LEGO taps into it like a pro. Each set, each minifigure, each whimsical creation carries with it a sense of history and personal significance. It’s like Proust’s madeleine, but much more durable and less likely to crumble under pressure.

So, why does building with LEGO bring joy to all ages? 

It’s a perfect blend of creativity, mindfulness, community, and nostalgia. LEGO allows us to escape the real world for a while, giving us the freedom to build new ones, brick by brick. 

It’s a colorful, tactile reminder that sometimes, the best way to deal with life’s complexities is to embrace simplicity – and perhaps, just for a moment, to be a kid again.

So go ahead, dump that box of bricks on the floor, let your imagination run wild, and build something fantastic. Just remember to wear shoes.

ABOUT MIKE SAVAGE OF NEW CANAAN, CT

Savage from New Canaan is the Founder of 1-800 Accountant that helps businesses with their accounting services and needs through cutting-edge technology and customer support. He runs the company alongside CEO Brendon Pack.

In his spare time, Savage enjoys creating unique koi ponds, collecting Michael Jordan sneakers, and admiring muscle cars and unique pop art. He and his wife also spearhead the Savage-Rivera foundation to help impoverished families in Honduras.