Chronicle Books has published a number of innovative books and products that deliver quality and embody the spirit of whatever brand they’re working with, whether it be Disney, Star Wars, or even Game of Thrones. The publisher’s collaboration with The LEGO® Group has led to several great books, including “The Art of the Minifigure” and “LEGO Heroes”, which features stories of everyday heroes using the LEGO System to overcome unique challenges (you can find our review of that here).

Their latest offering is every bit as clever and inspiring as the bricks themselves: the LEGO® How We Create Inspiration Deck! This deck of 78 cards feature insights, ideas, and instructions, though not exactly what you’ll find in your standard LEGO set. The cards present quotes and prompts from people in every department of the LEGO Group, all of which represent the company’s core values (creativity, fun, imagination, caring, learning, and quality) while inspiring and motivating the user to literally build upon those same values.

The LEGO® How We Create Inspiration Deck is a beautifully-crafted set of cards divided into four distinct sections that offer a wide range of insights from various people within the organization. Memories & Mentors include quotes and anecdotes that demonstrate how we relate to one another and how our past informs our present or future. Motivation provides ideas and prompts to get started building. Challenges & Obstacles offers tools to help with creative droughts and not losing patience. Lastly, the Inspiration section provides a more general insight into maintaining a creative cycle, using the act of building with LEGO to spark your imagination in other areas, and using your general creativity to bring innovation back to the bricks.

What I really enjoy about this set is its diversity and utility. There is a wealth of different ideas, ranging from genuinely useful to just plain fun! I took the instructions to heart and chose one at random, ending up with a card from the Challenges and Obstacles section. My activity was to build a “simple object, but make it brick-built. As the card said, I “let go of the established version of something” and let my own imagination take over. It was challenging to be sure but I had fun the whole time without ever growing frustrated with the process. I could see it being utilized in schools, businesses, even senior centers! While it certainly caters to the LEGO enthusiast, there is so much knowledge in these cards to inspire and motivate a casual or even non-fan (if there even is such a thing) in any aspect of their lives.

The LEGO® How We Create Inspiration Deck is available to preorder here.

In addition to the Inspiration Deck, Chronicle Books has released a number of new licensed LEGO products for the holiday season, including something that definitely has a place under my Christmas tree: LEGO® Christmas Train Puzzle the newest puzzle in the bestselling LEGO® puzzle series has a holiday twist: 4 individual puzzles connect to create a Christmas winter wonderland that the whole family can build and enjoy together! Gather one and all around the table as you build 4 individual 100-piece puzzles then bring them together to create a winter village scene brimming with holiday cheer. Featuring charming yuletide LEGO minifigures and a LEGO Christmas train, this puzzle is packaged in a gift box that looks like a present ready to be placed under the Christmas tree. Ages: 7+