The Round Irregular Jigsaw - On Finishing Without Forcing
I was working on a round, irregular jigsaw. A Hobbit village world. Nothing squared. Nothing linear. The edges didn’t tell you where to begin.
Near the end, two pieces were missing.
Not misplaced in a dramatic way. Just... absent.
I left them.
Days later, I found one by accident. No searching. No effort. Just there.
The second appeared the same way. Later, quietly, unannounced.
The puzzle completed itself.
I didn’t even manage to take a photograph of the finished jigsaw. In the middle of ordinary life, the table was bumped and the moment passed.
But it was finished. Interruption doesn’t negate completion.
This felt like real creative intelligence at work:
– allowing absence without panic
– trusting form to arrive when ready
– recognizing that completion isn’t always documented
– understanding that effort is not the same thing as alignment
Polymath work rarely finishes in straight lines.
It resolves sideways. It closes when you’re not watching. It completes itself once you’ve done your part and stepped back.
Not everything needs proof.
Some things only need to be true.
[photo: Raquel Pinheiro - Round Irregular Jigsaw Puzzle, 2025]
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