I am one of those people that buys puzzles in boxes. In particular those that have a thousand pieces or more. I like the ones that depict something colourfully abstract, like a Kandinsky painting or part of the galaxy. There’s joy in even just laying out the pieces on the table. Knowing that, at this point, I cannot see how they all connect – but in the end, they will.
Bit by bit, the image appears, first in clusters, then as a whole. The puzzle shifts shape, grows under my hands and all of a sudden – poof! – it’s done. It’s there.
Writing too, has puzzle-like qualities. It demands the same amount of trust and perseverance: ‘Yes, I don’t know how to fit my thoughts into something coherent yet – but it will come’. Two things though, make writing more of a challenge than doing a puzzle. One: there is no steady frame and no promise of an excellent result. Two: you’re not alone. There’s a reader that needs to understand.
The good news is that even though the level of complexity is higher when it comes to writing, so is the reward. Once you manage to catch an essential concept in words, it can reach minds all over the globe. It can withstand the test of time.
I work with Artesc because I enjoy puzzling together, sharing techniques and making a message come out clearly. Another reason that all too often I hear people say science is ‘an opinion’. I hope that some good texts will turn that tide.
annefleur.schep@artesc.org