Jigsaw puzzles are a way my husband and I relax. We are not always working on one. Sometimes months go by when we are not involved with a puzzle. When we are enjoying them, we may work three or four puzzles in succession.

I have typically bought puzzles at thrift stores. They cost less than five dollars and I can find very interesting ones. Normally all the pieces are in the box—there have only been a few that had a missing piece. The biggest disappointment was a puzzle of the Van Gogh painting “Starry Night.”

Working the “Starry Night” puzzle was going to be a challenge—but we had felt up to it. We pulled out all the pieces and somehow could not find any border pieces so we began to work on the yellow and orange sections. After an hour of searching, we realized none of those pieces were in the box! I wonder if someone worked on the puzzle and in frustration threw out the pieces they had finished and gave the rest to the thrift store. I will never know. We were going to toss it in the trash, but I decided to keep it to use in a collage one day—after all, the blues were lovely and I thought inspiration might strike me of how to use the pieces in a collage.

Two Puzzles in One

In the spring of 2019 we visited the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House in Florence, Alabama. We wanted a memento of our trip and bought a puzzle of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater at the gift shop next door. It is a double-sided puzzle. One side is a picture of the home’s exterior and the flip side is an aerial blueprint of the grounds—which has, of course, lots of blue area!

We worked the Fallingwater exterior side of the puzzle right after we bought it. We only recently worked the side with the blueprint of the grounds. It was a challenge, but immensely enjoyable.

One of the satisfying aspects of working a puzzle is that there’s always a solution. With enough time and work, you know that the puzzle can be finished. I admit that sometimes I am not the most patient person. Working puzzles makes me realize that I can sit there mad and upset that I can’t find pieces that fit—or, I can find a way to work that helps me find pieces. Sometimes it can be painstakingly tedious. The finished puzzle makes it worth slowing down and working methodically when necessary. It is usually towards the end when all the pieces are the same color. At that point, we will lay out the pieces according to shape. Then I may have to try every possible piece that could fit in each spot . . . but I do find the piece eventually!

I often compare life to a puzzle—whether it be organizing a room, managing life, or writing music. There are many pieces, parts, and circumstances. It is my challenge to see how they all fit together.

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We put out music together, piece by piece, like a jigsaw puzzle.

— Ronnie Van Zant (1948-1977) American singer best known as the founding lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd

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Working jigsaw puzzles provides a mental workout while doing something fun! Research shows that adults can boost their IQ by four points by spending twenty-five minutes a day playing puzzle games. Studies also show that keeping the mind active through puzzles and other problem-solving activities helps keep the brain cells healthy thus warding off certain kinds of dementia.

Some of the proven benefits of working jigsaw puzzles are:

• Mental stimulation (Improves cognitive function)
• Exercises both sides of the brain
• Enhances problem-solving skills
• Improved visual-spatial reasoning
• Increased attention to detail
• Stress reduction
• Improved concentration
• Fine motor skills development
• Memory enhancement
• Confidence boost and sense of accomplishment
• Improved mood
• Patience

For me, I enjoy the process. Working jigsaw puzzles provides a way to wind down and relax. It switches my brain off and I stop worrying about everything else. 

The process of working puzzles helps me remember to approach life in the same way. If I keep working and am observant—surely I can fit the pieces together.

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Every day is sort of a jigsaw puzzle. You have to make sure that you’re putting the most important things first.

— Julia Hartz (b. 1979) American entrepreneur, investor and the co-founder
and CEO of Eventbrite