I love the meditative flow state of puzzling. I love how putting together a jigsaw puzzle makes you slow down and appreciate every detail in a work of art. I love how it challenges your brain to rotate an image and situate it in its context. I love the tactile feeling of the rough chip board on the back and the smooth printed image on the front of each piece.
I am NOT a speed-puzzler, though I have a lot of appreciation for people who can do that. It’s fascinating watching them work.
I love to come across puzzles at estate sales/thrift stores. You can often find a jigsaw puzzle for DIRT CHEAP at second hand stores. It’s so fun if you go in with low expectations. Sometimes I take them home only to find that they’re incomplete! Fun to imagine a stray puzzle piece on its own little adventure. Dropped amidst moving or hurriedly cleaning up or in between being lugged to a sleepover at a friend’s house.
Even when I end up with an incomplete second-hand puzzle, I enjoy the challenge and the mindfulness of putting it together the best I can. Not everything can be pristine, but you can still find perfection in the snug fit of a few pieces.
Here is a live puzzle tracker of puzzles I have personally completed. Let me know if you’ve gotten a chance to try these!
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