Our newly elected president, Louise Jackett, has been a long time member of AJPA and working behind the scenes as a committee member since 2022. Louise is already proving herself to be an excellent president and we are very excited to have Louise at the head of AJPA.
Tell me about yourself and how you came to be a puzzler?
I’ve loved to puzzle ever since I was little. Some of my favourite childhood memories are going to the bookshop with my dad on wintry Tassie weekends to choose a 1000 piece jigsaw, then settle in front of a cosy fire to complete it in an afternoon.
How did you get involved with the AJPA?
Like many, I rediscovered puzzling during COVID lockdowns after a hiatus when other things in life had crept up to take over my time. After chatting about my reinvigorated love of puzzles, a friend found the AJPA Facebook Group for me, which our first president, D’Arne, had only just started. I was amazed at being able to share the joy of a generally individual pursuit with so many people. The group also introduced me to speed puzzling, and practicing this definitely gave me a welcome goal to focus on during lockdowns. I signed up for my first comp in 2021, volunteered the next year, and became fast friends with many wonderful people in the community.
What do you enjoy most about the puzzle community?
There are so many things! I love how our community brings out the inner child in all of us. Whether it’s online or in person, people have a lot of joy escaping into a world of fun, beautiful art and learning something new about themselves, and doing it together.
It’s quite common for people to feel a bit nervous coming along to one of our events and I also love how quickly people feel at ease when they arrive and experience a signature warm welcome from our volunteers and other attendees.
Has anything surprised you about being involved with the AJPA?
Just how frequently we unearth unexpected new talent at competitions. The calibre of speed puzzling talent in this country is amazing (hello lots of Aussies in the finals at World Champs!), which is even more remarkable considering speed puzzling is still in its infancy in Australia compared to some other countries.
Also, the variety of different approaches taken by some of our fastest puzzlers always astounds me. I thought that a “superior” method might emerge over the years, however people can have really different methods and be within seconds of each other. I find that individualisation really interesting.
Finally, I’m always amazed how rankings at our speed competitions change depending on the puzzle image. It makes for a really exciting competition.
Do you have a favourite brand, type, or style of puzzle?
The artist Charles Wysocki’s puzzles have been my favourite since I can remember, but I like to do those in 1000 piece for relaxation. When it comes to speed puzzling, I’m drawn to sky, landscapes and photographic natural scenery. I can’t do busy!
How often do you get to puzzle?
I’ve recently finished a uni course alongside my regular work, so I’m hoping to convert some of those hours into more puzzling. If I can puzzle for at least an hour 2-3 times a week, I’m a very happy puzzler!
What do you do when you’re not volunteering for AJPA?
My regular work is as a doctor in pathology, and my main role is to diagnose cancer using a microscope. It is a very visual job that requires me to focus on small details, and I often find there are parallels with puzzling.
What’s your best advice for someone who wants to improve their speed puzzling abilities?
Playing around with the order I do the components of a puzzle, repeating puzzles and actively reflecting on puzzle practice, have all been really helpful pieces of advice for me. However, the most helpful tip I’ve received is to try to train your eye to look for the next piece while your hand is putting in the current piece. It seems to have helped my brain more than anything to process visuo-spatial information faster.
I’ll never be a super fast puzzler, but following these tips, which have been suggested by lots of fast puzzlers in our community, has helped me to keep improving my personal times so I highly recommend them.
