Piecing it all together
During the stay at home orders due to COVID-19, I looked for activities we could do as a family that did not include monitors or screens like many parents. With a passion for puzzles since childhood, I wanted to share that with my family. Still, I wanted designs more culturally relevant to us. I quickly realized that the puzzles in the marketplace neither satisfied my desire for subject matter nor aesthetics.
The author and poet Toni Morrison said, “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must be the one to write it.” So, Pieces of Us by Us was born!
Our stories are vital but often not prioritized. Loving Us and our culture, Pieces of Us by Us tells Our stories through Black Art by Black Artists. Passionate and imaginative artists are sharing a little piece of themselves through diverse and contemporary images and artistry. These artists become the Pieces of our Premium Puzzles, made from Cultural Fine Art by Us and For Us though all are welcome.
Doing jigsaw puzzles is also good for your mind, body, and spirit. Puzzles provide many benefits for mental health, including PTSD, anxiety, autism, and dementia. Having suffered from depression and anxiety myself has made me keenly aware of the importance of a healthy mental state. There are many ways to make a mental health problem more manageable, and regularly completing jigsaw puzzles is just one method with proven results. Puzzling reduces stress by occupying and engaging the mind to create a sense of calm and serenity. As a puzzle is pieced together, external worries and stress decrease as the mind focuses on an activity that is both meditative and satisfying.
Part game and part decorative art, I want you to choose from beautiful, deeply meaningful puzzles that speak to you. My wish for Pieces of Us is to bring fine cultural art into your home, onto your table, and into your hands.
Our hope is that you will enjoy these creative images transformed into beautiful, deluxe puzzles as much as we enjoyed creating them.