Nat 20 Puzzler
What's your name?
Maud (they/them) or nat20puzzler on instagram
Where are you based?
I was born in China but was adopted as a baby by my parents. I was raised in Los Angeles, California, USA and now call New Jersey, USA my home.
Tell us about what your ordinary day looks like.
In the morning I walk and feed my dog, Waly, then drive to work picking up my chai latte from Starbucks. I finish work and go home, walk my dog, then enjoy my evening doing whatever hobby I am hyper fixating on at the moment.
How did you get into the world of puzzling?
I have puzzled ever since I was a baby. I had two wooden puzzles as a baby that I still vividly remember; one was a seal with a ball on its nose and one was a panda and those were my favorite toys, more than any others. I did them every day and every way possible. As I got older I couldn’t get my hands on enough of them. By 11 years old every wall in my room was covered in puzzles I had completed. I got into speed puzzling however much later in life, just a few years ago after seeing coverage of the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships in Spain, and that opened a whole new can of worms for me.
What makes you keep puzzling & how often do you puzzle?
I honestly don’t know what my life would be like without puzzling. It is such an integral part of who I am. The frequency with which I puzzle really depends on what I have going on in my life at the time. I puzzle a lot more when I am practicing for a competition, probably 2 a day after work and all day on the weekends. When I am not practicing I usually casually do a puzzle on the weekends.
What is your favorite type of puzzle?
I am a Ravensburger person through and through. They were the only puzzles I collected when I was little, and they are definitely still the most represented brand in my collection. I do lean towards grid or ribbon cut puzzles. I love classic scenic photographs where half the puzzle is sky, or beautifully drawn illustrations. 500-piece puzzles for practice, and 1000 pieces and up for casual puzzling.
During puzzling sessions, do you listen to anything or puzzle in silence?
I have a speed puzzling playlist that I practice and compete to; Epic The Musical by Jorge Rivera-Herrans. But if I am casually puzzling then I like to have the TV or movies on in the background.
If you were to describe what puzzling means to you, what would it be?
Self-regulation and community.
Tell us about your other interests & joys.
I collect a lot of hobbies. I like to play action/adventure rpg video games. I love creating things with my hands and this comes out in hobbies like sewing (day to day clothes or things for cosplay), crocheting, painting. I like to build Legos and book nooks as well. I tend to say I am crafty but not creative, so anything that has instructions and lets me make something beautiful is right up my alley.
