Hi ResParis Zhao11-01-2023Ph Affa Chan
Cover Paris Zhao is spreading her love for puzzles one piece at a time (Photo: Affa Chan/Tatler Hong Kong)

The ex-Meta employee shares how she’s finding joy in living slowly

In an age when being busy is often glorified, taking the time to live slowly and with intention can almost feel selfish. Not for Paris Zhao. The Hong Kong-based creator of Palette Puzzles, a jigsaw puzzle brand that is putting mindfulness at its forefront, transforms the works of female artists around the world into frame-worthy puzzles. Palette Puzzles’ collection currently comprises six calm and inviting jigsaws, including Home Together by San Francisco-based digital illustrator and architect Ceyda Alasar, who creates pieces based on simple moments in everyday life; and Girls’ Trip, a handpainted piece by Netherlands-based Dutch Egyptian illustrator Roeqiya Fris, whose work depicts diversity, female friendships and sisterhood. Each puzzle comes with a kit, including two puzzle trays, to make sorting fun and easy. This month, the brand is launching new designs in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8.

Zhao’s project was born during the height of the pandemic in 2021. “The young me wanted everything fast, including fast cars and fast dates,” says Zhao, who is currently heading the APAC strategy and revenue operations for financial services company Stripe, and worked at Meta—formerly Facebook—from 2020 to 2022. “The word ‘fast’ [to me] became synonymous with energy, competitiveness and glamour. To be seen as leading a fast life was to be successful. I never understood people who said they enjoyed ‘doing nothing’,” she says. “I felt guilty just thinking about it.”

Her feelings were not uncommon. In a 2022 report by Gallup on the state of the global workplace, 54 per cent of respondents in Hong Kong said that they felt stressed at work compared to the world average of 44 per cent— this information, coupled with the pandemic, inspired Zhao to rethink her lifestyle. “Working from home forced me to slow down my pace. It gave my mind a break from the constant stream of content that usually surrounded me, especially with my previous role at Meta,” she says, adding that she often turned to puzzles to find inner peace.

 

Zhao hoped to use her lessons from Meta, and her love for art and design, to help others. Previous experience in leading Meta’s Women@ Community, which celebrates and empowers women around the Asia-Pacific region, allowed Zhao to collaborate with many local female artists. She says the experience was both transformative and inspirational. “It taught me that women can achieve extraordinary things when they come together … but women continue to be underrepresented in many industries, including the creative world. And this was exacerbated by Covid-19: many artists lost the opportunity to [host gallery shows] and monetise their work due to lockdown,” she says. “I wanted to create a platform to showcase their work through a product that could also bring joy to people’s lives.”

Zhao discovered hundreds of artists by scrolling through platforms like Etsy, Pinterest and Instagram. “I carefully curated the artists I worked with, and took the time to get to know them and what they stood for, to ensure they aligned with the company mission. I also tried to look for artists that resonated with me on a personal level. For example, Ceyda and I share the unique experience of turning our passions into something far greater than the original paths we began with. It’s inspiring to think that our trajectory is flexible. We can reinvent ourselves through ingenuity and hard work.”

She is hopeful that her platform can empower female artists by showcasing their work to a wider audience. “The puzzles are unique to Palette Puzzles and we provide opportunities for the artists’ work to be shown to the world while also benefiting from the partnership,” she says. The artists working with Palette Puzzles make a percentage of the profit from the sale of each of their puzzles. In addition, Palette Puzzles donates 5 per cent of its profits to Room2Read, a leading non-profit focused on girls’ education and children’s literacy in Asia and Africa.

“There are multiple ways to de-stress and find inner peace and joy,” she says. “I want Palette Puzzles to give people a way to take time for themselves, relax, and hopefully become more mindful as a result.”

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