For as long as I can remember, I’ve always enjoyed doing puzzles. I was probably 5 or 6 years of age when I got my very first jigsaw puzzle… The Flintstones. It was a 100-piece puzzle that I liked to do again and again. When I learned how to read and write, I progressed to word search puzzles, and then to crossword puzzles. Doing jigsaw puzzles on a rainy day up at the cottage was a great way to pass the time, when there was no TV to watch or book to read. Starting with the corner pieces, I would build the frame, then group pieces according to colour and work on mini sections at a time. It was fun hunting for the right shape to connect these mini sections. It felt like an accomplishment to have completed the puzzle! Working on puzzles helped to sharpen my mind.
In later years the popular (with my co-workers) word jumble puzzle got me hooked. Every day we had a contest at work to see who could complete it first! Often times, it was me. This past decade, Sudoku puzzles have been my go-to choice of puzzle. I love to figure out which numbers go where. I’m also hooked on online games like Jewel Mania or Bubble Mania and enjoy moving up in the different levels. I think the attraction to puzzles stems from the way my brain is wired.
Even in my former occupation as a catalogue layout designer, I gravitated to the most difficult pages to design and I made them look good. Others would ignore or skip over those problem pages but I would scoop them up… thrilled that I was being mentally challenged! When a 2-page spread was completed and looked like it was easy to do, I knew that I had done a good job! It was like making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, as the saying goes.
I’ve always been meticulous about things. I remember, even as a toddler, that I could not stand to have dirty hands. I didn’t like dirt, grease, or any foreign substance on my hands… it grossed me out! In my adulthood, I’ve learned to relax somewhat and even enjoy digging in the dirt. I was a perfectionist… no crayon ever went past the black outlines in my colouring book, and if a friend took to colouring in it and coloured outside of the lines… it drove me crazy! To me, the book was ruined! I’ve learned to accept people’s shortcomings.
My attention to detail has followed me throughout my life and my career… whether it was designing ads or catalogue pages, whether it is writing something, building something, or installing something… it has to be perfect! I guess my brain is just wired that way.
Reader: Are you puzzled by your colour, decor, or furniture choices? Do you feel paralyzed with fear in moving forward with your decorating? Are you overwhelmed by the many choices when you walk into a paint store, a furniture shop, or decor store? Wouldn’t you want somebody with that attention to detail to handle the job for you? I would love to work with you, to help you design or to redesign your space, and to WOW you! I’m always up for a challenge and would love to work on the puzzle that you call ‘home’! Groovy Chick Redesign and Home Staging could be your answer.
Do you have a favourite type of puzzle? If so, what is it? Could we be of the same mindset?
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