Extreme Connect the Dot-to-Dot

An extreme connect the dot-to-dot is a puzzle activity based on the original children’s game but made more challenging for adults. Completing an extreme dot-to-dot requires patience and focus to connect hundreds of numbers to create the outline of a simple image. I have produced a series of extreme dot-to-dots to represent the objects that I must remember to start my day: keys for my car, keys to use in my office, lunch, phone, laptop, and notebook. Creating these extreme dot-to-dots involved an absurd and complicated process of photographing, tracing, completing, modifying, verifying, and correcting (the process is documented in video). The process resembles the absurdity of my morning routine where merely getting out the door—even before I arrive at work—is tedious and requires concentration. Namely, I must concentrate on remembering mundane objects. If I forget any of these objects, the day is virtually ruined. My dot-to-dots represent routine domestic and professional labor, where tedium, repetition, and deep concentration go hand-in-hand to create a level of exhaustion, disproportionate to the final product.