[T519] 1. Gear Essay

This is part of my open portfolio for the course "Digital Fabrication and Making in Education". 

I am going to record and share my course projects here, too. :)

Image from: https://www.ssg.com/item/itemView.ssg?itemId=1000530035637 // This is the 1000 piece puzzle that I finished for the first time.

 

When I was in elementary school, I established a special routine after exam periods. As soon as I returned home, I would have ramen–though I often left it unfinished because it made me sleepy. Then, I would grab my bag and head to the mall to buy a new jigsaw puzzle, usually from a bookstore. Once I was back home, I would spend the entire day working on the puzzle. It typically continued until it grew dark outside. As I grew older, I spent less time assembling puzzles, but the number of pieces in each puzzle increased. Looking back, this practice became a kind of ritual for me. I guess the reason was that it soothed my stressed mind and body by allowing me to focus completely on a single absorbing task.

 

The process of choosing and assembling jigsaw puzzles closely reflects my own characteristics. I was always drawn to the most challenging puzzles–those filled with similar hues and complex patterns. Although it was difficult, I found great satisfaction in the sense of accomplishment that came with finishing them. Some friends thought it was odd that I would take on something so tough right after struggling through exams. But for me, it satisfied my desire for achievement. I enjoyed coming up with different strategies and tackling them piece by piece. These experiences may have helped me build resilience when facing challenges. 

 

The way to assemble the pieces was a process of scrutinizing the differences. Rather than putting pieces together randomly, I preferred to carefully examine the illustrations to find which pieces fit together. I enjoyed the search for answers and the process of observation itself. This reflects my ongoing preference for observation to figure out people’s behavior or seek patterns within phenomena. It’s something that has naturally led to my interest in learning analytics. 

 

Interestingly, I never reassembled the same puzzle twice. I always sought out something new. Before I became interested in jigsaw puzzles, I enjoyed playing with Lego. I constantly disassembled and reassembled models. However, from the moment I started  doing puzzles, my preferences began to shift. I found genuine satisfaction in completing something and moving on. Later, my interests gradually expanded to building plastic models such as helicopters or ships. 

 

As I reflect on those days, I notice more about myself in relation to puzzles. I am drawn to activities with clear answers, which may explain why I prefer math and computer science over literature. While I appreciate philosophical ideas, I still find comfort in problems that have definite solutions. I prefer to go beyond analyzing phenomena. I want to take action and create positive change. 

 

My early love for jigsaw puzzles taught me to embrace challenges, pay close attention to detail, and persist until I find a solution. These lessons have stayed with me and inspire how I approach both learning and life. As I move forward, I am excited to continue seeking out new puzzles–both literal and metaphorical–and to keep building, observing, and learning from every experience.