Less Anger, More Creation: the theme for 2026.
Right now I'm on a train headed to Makers Central: an annual maker event held at the Birmingham NEC. Although “making” is typically associated with wood and metalworking, it has expanded to include other forms of craft, including 3D printing and perhaps even LEGO.
As the first half of 2026 draws to a close, I'm reflecting on my progress since this time last year. I'm making the case for having had the best start to a year in a very long time.
Although I'm still recovering from having a really bad 2025, having essentially lost almost my entire livelihood, I'm getting back into creativity.
Last year's theme...
Instead of making New Year's resolutions - usually forgotten about as soon as the clock hits midnight - I opt for annual “themes” related to creativity and ambition.
Last year's theme was You Must Post: a pledge to more actively demonstrate what I make, instead of creating in silence.
It was a call for more frequent online posts, even if the LEGO space is more interested in stealing ideas/concepts than giving credit.
It was also a call to finish more of the projects I’ve started, before those ideas end up on the shelves with a red square on the box.
While the sheer amount of adversity - including from both the LEGO and 3D printing spaces - had affected my ability to create or post, there were two big successes: my version of the Nintendo Gameboy in LEGO, and the start of my Gumball Advent Calendar project.
This year's theme…
Less Anger, More Creation.
I've wasted so much time being angry, trying to make sense of the LEGO space's narrative that I somehow don't exist.
I summed it up in my video on bullying within the LEGO space: that the goal of bullying is to silence people, shut them down and make them disappear. Stealing from others while refusing to acknowledge them, as many people in the LEGO space have done, is a great way to stifle creativity.
After realising there was never going to be an answer as to why this was happening, after a whole five years of asking the question, it was time to let go and be completely done with them.
While the anger will probably never completely dissipate, I can at least attempt to channel it into productivity.
What's next?
Almost all of my energy so far has been put into the Real Figures Don't F.O.L.D project: my effort to raise awareness of bullying in hobby spaces, even among so-called adults.
Along with this year's Big ReBuild, and a few other intended Creations in the works, I will be resuming the Gumball Advent Calendar project very soon.
The biggest challenge for this year’s theme is balancing the creation of these projects with the need to promote myself.
