My Creative Adventure

After 23 years in Washington, DC, my family and I moved back to Michigan, and I found myself craving something I had been missing for a long time: space to create simply for the joy of making things. I’ve always loved drawing, designing, and working with my hands, but after more than two decades as a User Experience/User Interface Designer, most of my creativity had become lifeless and digital. In 2020, I bought a Delta scroll saw with a simple dream of making wooden jigsaw puzzles by hand. What started as a creative experiment grew into Hello Fairytale, where I now make handcut and lasercut wood and acrylic puzzles, along with frames, ornaments, coasters, and other small-batch pieces inspired by places, teams, memories, and the things that make a community feel like home. In July 2024, I stepped away from my corporate career to give this creative life a real chance.

One of my favorite parts of creating is taking an idea that means something to someone and turning it into something they can actually hold, display, or enjoy. As I’ve settled back into Michigan, that has naturally grown into a desire to make Hello Fairytale part of the local community. I desire not only to create work that support schools, teams, and organizations, but also by bringing people together around puzzles themselves. I’d love to eventually host puzzle meetups and partner with local coffee shops, breweries, restaurants, and other community spaces to create relaxed opportunities for people to discover wooden puzzles, meet new people, and share a table. I love the idea of partnerships that benefit local businesses while creating new connections through something as simple and satisfying as putting a puzzle together.

For me, puzzles are about more than the finished picture. They give us a reason to slow down, put away our phones, and spend time together. I’m building Hello Fairytale slowly and intentionally, giving myself room to experiment, learn, and follow the ideas that spark my curiosity. Some projects become finished products, while others simply lead me to the next idea. I’m enjoying the journey, one puzzle, frame, ornament, and creative project at a time!