Earlier this year, “Iga Swiatek’s Brain Games” described how the WTA’s top player primes her mind before matches by building Lego kits. As it turns out, engineers also love the toy. It is not unusual for my people to continue to play with the toys throughout adulthood. The interlocking plastic bricks can be assembled to create a wide array of structures and designs, which fosters creativity, problem-solving, and spatial awareness. This is all to say… I still play with Legos.
One of the nerdier things I did this year was commissioning the creation of a custom Lego mini-fig. A mini-fig (short for “mini-figure”) is a tiny, posable person about 1.5 inches tall with movable arms, legs, and heads. It can be positioned to interact with various Lego creations. Official mini-figs often come with accessories and detailed designs that reflect different personas, professions, and themes. They add a playful element to Lego building.
My mini-fig is wearing purple pants, and a black shirt emblazoned with the logo used by my work team. She has not one but two tennis racquets and a laptop. It was more natural for me to order a mini-fig that reflected my work persona than my tennis life. However, I will likely order a second mini-fig with a Fiend at Court logo in the near future.
Of course, once I had a personal mini-fig holding a racquet, I needed to construct a tennis court. I am still workshopping it, but a green base is highly suggestive of a grass court.
Barbora Krejcikova recently tweeted out her support for a project posted to the Lego Ideas site, which is a place where people can submit brick construction projects that one day might become official kits. If this model of Wimbledon Centre Court ever becomes an actual product, it will be on my Christmas wish list.
Working with Legos offers significant relaxation benefits. It is mindful engagement that distracts from everyday worries and alleviates stress. The remaining “Unplugged” posts this weekend are inspired by vaguely tennis-related photos on my phone that make me happy. These topics are basically the writing equivalent of working on Lego kits.
