Editor of Mindful Puzzles magazine, Dr Nicole Kennedy, gives us an insight into a day in her life bringing you uplifting and inspiring content.
As you sit down and enjoy a copy of Mindful Puzzles, have you ever wondered who’s behind your favourite magazine, creating all the bespoke crosswords and puzzles and inspiring editorial you adore? Meet Dr Nicole Kennedy, Mindful Puzzles very own Editor. Read on to discover what she loves most about her role; from working with her team to come up with all your favourite bespoke crosswords and puzzles to seeing the magazine come to life in its final stages.
What do you enjoy the most about being the Editor of Mindful Puzzles, and why?
I love connecting with our community of readers and hearing about the various ways that Mindful Puzzles resonates with them – from busy people who can sink into the pages and find some quiet time for themselves to crossword and puzzle enthusiasts who love language and testing their brains.
Describe a typical day in the life for you in the office.
A typical day in the office is busy but very rewarding. It’s still a surreal and very cool experience watching each new issue come to life, from the initial planning stage to content creation and then sending the pages off to print.
How do you and your team come up with all the crosswords and puzzles you create?
Our publisher, Lovatts Media, is a pioneer in the Australian crossword and puzzle landscape and has been creating puzzle content for over 40 years – we’re experts for a reason! As language evolves, so do we, and a big part of the job involves keeping up with changing trends in language and how we use it, new words being added to dictionaries and old words revised. It really is a fascinating thing to follow.
What’s your favourite type of puzzle to do, and why? Have you always been a puzzle enthusiast?
I’ve always loved puzzles; I used to sit and solve crosswords and other word puzzles with my Grandpa when I was younger. It’s tough to pick just one favourite but I’m partial to the Know How as the clue-in-square format is so handy. I also enjoy the Wit & Wisdom, the mix of general knowledge, celebrity, pop culture, and cryptic clues always makes for an interesting puzzle.
What other mindful or creative activities do you do to keep your mind active?
I love books, reading is possibly my favourite thing to do. I also enjoy colouring in and baking, I find concentrating on the recipes helps keep me focused and mindful on one step at a time.
How do you like to spend your time when you’re not hard at work?
Reading! I have a doctorate in children’s and young adult literature, so I enjoy following new research trends and academic scholarship. I also enjoy going to the movies and the theatre, singing in the local community choir, spending time with my family, and puzzling – preferably at the beach!
What’s your favourite puzzle or crossword joke?
Cryptic puzzles can always be relied on for clever, pun-tastic clues and I find myself chuckling every time I solve a cryptic puzzle for this reason. A particularly cute one I came across recently was: Black and white creature said to attend to every need (5) – answer: PANDA.
Are you also a literary lover like our editor Nicole? You can check out her Instagram where she reviews her latest book delights here @nicolekennedy_reads
