Diane’s Puzzle Story: 

Diane (she/her) lives in Arkansas, where she is an Art & Marketing Director for an education company. She has been puzzling her whole life, fondly recalling the Sesame Street tray puzzles by Playskool that she would assemble (when not chewing the pieces). She and her sister then graduated to assembling puzzles, gluing them, and hanging them in their bedroom. In her teens, she would turn to puzzles if she was having a particularly rough time, to refocus and ground her. Today, the family tradition of holiday puzzling continues, bringing loved ones together to enjoy this timeless pastime.

Diane started posting puzzles on Instagram in 2017 as a way to track what puzzles she completed, and over the past year the exponential growth of the PuzzleGram community has enriched her hobby even more.

She recently joined as a year-round volunteer with the USAJPA, with a focus on social media. She additionally helped with the 2023 USA Jigsaw Nationals Program, and also managed the USAJPA social media for 2024 Worlds from the comfort of her home.

Diane participates in virtual Artifact Puzzles competitions and plans on attending the 2025 USA Jigsaw Nationals.

Q&A Time:

What is your best advice for someone who wants to improve their speed puzzling abilities?

“I am definitely not qualified to answer this, but the best advice someone else gave me was not to focus on a particular section too long. This was very powerful for me because I have a tendency to hyperfocus, trying to find one particular piece.”

What is the puzzle community like in your area?

“My area does not have a strong puzzle community, but our public library usually has a community puzzle on one of the tables.”

What do you enjoy most about puzzling?

“I enjoy connecting to the artwork. I have a deep appreciation for human creativity and have always loved art. The thing with art is most of the time you are just looking at it. Don't get me wrong, that is an amazing way to enjoy it. But with puzzles, you can truly immerse yourself in the image. You notice details you may have overlooked. It allows me to have a deeper appreciation for the art. 

Puzzling has also been a valuable tool in managing my mental health. For years, I've struggled with anxiety, and I've found that focusing on a puzzle can help calm my racing thoughts and ground me in the present moment. I love listening to audiobooks while puzzling. The act of piecing together an image while listening to a book requires my full attention, preventing my mind from wandering into worry or doubt. 

After every puzzle, I do a "puzzle pick up". It's not a test of quality for me. I just think it is hilarious to try to pick them up!

Puzzling is a simple yet powerful way to nurture my well-being.”

Do you have a favorite brand, type, or style of puzzle?

“This is a very hard question for me to answer! My tastes in puzzle styles constantly change and evolve as new artists join the market. One day I might be doing a puzzle with Aimee Stewart or Dean MacAdam art and the next day it could be contemporary painters like Elspeth McLean and Helen Dardik. I also love landscape paintings, especially if they feature bright colors with any buildings, flowers, or sky. 

Among my favorite brands are Pomegranate, Art & Fable, Le Puzz, Puzzle Weekend, Fathom, and Stumpcraft. But there are things I enjoy about so many brands. 

It's actually easier for me to say I do not enjoy puzzles that have AI or are subpar in quality. Since the 2020 puzzle boom, there has unfortunately been a large increase in companies that use stolen art and inexpensive materials. These are particularly prevalent on Amazon and Walmart.”

Tell us about your puzzle teammates. 

“My daily puzzling teammates are my dogs. My maltese is almost always on my lap and my corgi is at my feet (the other one sometimes sits with me but is more likely to be sleeping on the couch).  

When it comes to speed puzzling, the one person I have done a few competitions with is Jes K. We consider ourselves "The World's Okayest Puzzlers". We're neither the fastest nor the slowest, but we have fun!”

Do you have a cherished or unforgettable puzzle-related memory?

“A few years ago, my aunt gave me a puzzle with Norman Rockwell's "The Shiner". She told me she picked it because it was the first puzzle she remembered doing with my mom.”

Connect:

Diane can be found on Instagram @bizzlespuzzles