Typewriters and puzzles, my two favorite things

I finished putting together a jigsaw puzzle, which I got for myself as part of my recent artist date. But not just an ordinary one, but in a shape of a typewriter. I assumed it would be easier to connect the pieces, if only because following the letters on the keyboard makes things easier. As it turned out, I was completely wrong. It was even more difficult because I'd never done a puzzle with pieces having so many shapes before. Even the arrangement of the frame puzzled me, and I consider myself a seasoned puzzle assembler.

What I liked the most about the whole process was the ability to look at different parts of the typewriter up close (there is a reason my first series of zines is called Up Close and Personal with Typewriters after all), and knowing typewriter anatomy surely helped. I spent a lot of that time listening to podcasts, making the time pleasurable for me. Putting together a puzzle reminds me of how difficult it is to start from scratch and how often you need to try multiple configurations in order to succeed. And that it's not so much about achieving the final goal as it is about enjoying the process.

I didn't intend to devote the entire post to a jigsaw puzzle at first. I thought it was silly. But then I wondered, when was the last time you did something you truly enjoyed and relished? I hope this post has inspired you to make time for such small pleasures as well.