Puzzles suck me in like time does not exist. I get so focused on the colors, shapes, and patterns. I see the shapes of the missing pieces more than anything and it’s like the piece draws me in to find it. I try not to use the box as a guide as I feel like that is cheating in a way.

I have to say that the 1000 piece puzzle I have sprawled out on my table at the moment is a challenge. I have gotten to the point where the pieces all look the same after awhile and I have to get up and walk away. It’s amazing what you see with fresh eyes the next time you approach the table.

Puzzling is a lot like writing for me. I can get lost in the words and the grammar. But if I walk away from it when I get frustrated, a new perspective often shows itself. The blank page like the blank table with a puzzle’s contents all sitting in a pile waiting to be put together in just the right way is like the ideas in my head all lumped together just waiting to be strung together so that they make sense in the world.