How to personalize your LEGO® Ideas The Globe set

We love it when people get creative with our sets. It’s incredible to see what happens when people use them as a starting point and then make them into something new that reflects their personality, experience or passions. 

So, as we launch our LEGO® Ideas The Globe set, we’re encouraging you to make the world your own and to personalize the set in a way that feels meaningful to you. 

The set comes with beautiful old-world details, including a sailing ship and a compass, and it also has glow-in-the-dark labels for the continents and oceans.

We want you to use it as your canvas and see where your creativity leads you...

Explore a new world of creativity

We sent the set to five Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) around the world and asked them to get creative. The results were astounding, and we just had to ask our AFOLs exactly what creativity means to them.

“Creativity for me is a wonderful state of mind induced by inspiring things I see in the world,” says Kristof Albert, an AFOL from Hungary.

And it works both ways. Creativity may come from the surrounding world, but it can also be used to change it. 

“I think anyone can, and everyone should, be creative whenever they have the opportunity, because creativity is one of the main engines that move the world forward.”

Every journey starts with the first step

If you’re new to the world of customizations, it can be challenging to know exactly where to start. Amber Christine Niblock, a Strategic Communications Professional from the US, always begins with the set itself.

“When I build a LEGO set for the first time, I always build it according to the building instructions,” she says. She allows ideas to develop gradually as she completes the build. 

“Once I close that last page, all bets are off!” adds Amber. “I can go from making minor changes to a complete overhaul of the entire design, but typically it falls somewhere in the middle.”

Don’t forget to look around you

And what should you do if the ideas won’t come? Well, don’t worry. Kaitlyn Lee, a Digital Designer for Virtual Reality and AR in Australia, uses a tried and tested technique to get her creativity flowing.

“I first create a mood board to get an idea of the aesthetics I’m trying to achieve,” says Kaitlyn. “I’m being inspired by what I’m finding for the board. I’m also naturally brainstorming ideas for the project.”

Through this process, a direction appears, and Kaitlyn creates a map that she can later follow. 

“When I’m happy with the direction I’d like to follow,” continues Kaitlyn, “I create a sketch so I can work out some of the finer details.”

Let yourself loose

Whether you’re making a set to reflect your unique experience or just have an idea that you’re desperate to express, customizing LEGO sets can be great fun. But it’s essential that you keep that little nagging, doubting voice inside your head quiet and completely let loose.

“There are no rules when it comes to LEGO building, there is no wrong way to build, there is no wrong way to enjoy the pleasure of building,” says Deborah Higdon, a retired school teacher from Canada.

Anything that flows from you will be original because, after all, there is only one of you out there. Kind of amazing when you think about it.

“I appreciate everyone else’s creativity, talents and originality, which makes me to want to have a similar approach to LEGO building.”

Connected by our creativity

While all of this might seem like just a bit of fun, it’s important to remember that creativity is more than just play. It’s something that binds us all, and that is part of what makes us truly special.

“Creativity means everything to me,” says Chema Pérez, a YouTuber from Spain. “It’s what makes humans human.”

"The best thing is that, like strength or dexterity, creativity and imagination can be trained and improved," says Chema. 

So, whether you're an old pro or have never customised a LEGO set before, why not take the LEGO Ideas The Globe set out for a spin and see where your creativity could take you.