The Origami Forum

Hey everyone, my name is sarah and i'm writing a paper for school with a friend about origami. I was wondering if maybe you guys could help us out... It would help us loads if we could have some insights on the subject by some origami proffesionals We made some questions, if you like you can anwser some (you could do just one or several or all, all the information and help is much appreciated!)... We have to hand it in februari 4th so i'll be checking on this forum if anything came up, you could post it but also you could send me an email at sarah34_8AThotmailDOTcom . Thanks in advance!
Sarah

1. How did you come to doing origami?
2. Did you already feel a special bond/connection with Japan before you started origami?
3a. If no: Do you have it now or is origami the only Japanese thing you’re interested in?
3b. If yes: Has this connection become stronger now?
4. What about origami do you find “typical Japanese”?
5. (How) did you research information about origami?
6. Is there some sort of goal you want to achieve with origami?
7. How much time do spend (on average) on origami?
8. Do you care more about the result/the finished creation, or about the “origamiïng” itself?
9. How long have you been doing it and do you notice progress in your skills/results?
10. Which origami work that you ever made are you most proud of?

hey,

welcome on this forum!!!

ill try to answer your questions though its kinda hard for be cause im from austria...

1.) hmm it all began when i was a little child - i loved making paper aeroplanes and one day i tryed some more difficult models and so i got into origami folding...

2.) no connection to japanese

3.) apart from sushi it is the only japanese thing im interested in!

4.) well i guess its origami itsself

5.) i get lots of information from this forum
i also learnt to fold some models on youtube...
but there are also a lot of books in which you get great information about origami (Origami Design Secrets from Robert J. Lang for example)

6.) yea i want to fold a perfect ancient dragon one day
(http://www.origamihouse.jp/book/origina ... enshen.jpg)
and i want to do a very complex fold only with CP!!!

7.) hmmm all in all i guess i fold one or two hours a day...

8.) i LOVE to fold all the beautiful models...and to see how they develop is so great - but of course it f*** if your model doesnt look good in the end!

9.) as i said above i fold since my 6th birthday
but unfortunately i stopped folding and redescovered origami at the age of
25 again..since than i fold nearly every day a model..and yes i improved much!!

10) hmm thats a difficult question but i guess its the Divine Dragon (Bahamut) from Satoshi KAMIYA
http://www.origamihouse.jp/book/origina ... a/baha.jpg


hope i could help you

1) My mother, being Japanese, really encouraged me to connect with her culture, so she introduced me to origami when I was six or seven, I don't know which. I eventually got really interested, and she supported me with her instruction and by purchasing all of the best origami books she could find.
2) I first visited Japan when I was only a few months old, and have been there about eight times, so I have always felt a close connection to Japan. My family on my mom's side is very artistic, and I wanted to impress them with my abilities.
3b) Yes, very much so, but there are many other things that compliment my connection, such as learning the language and cooking Japanese cuisine.
4) Hmm, I don't quite understand the question, but I'll take a stab. Origami is a very Japanese tradition on a few levels, but the one that is most apparent to me is the devotion that is required. Much how sword making or ceramics are arts that are ancient but still practiced today, origami is a skill only those who are willing to take the time can master.
5) I didn't really have to research about origami with my mother as a reference. But, I think experience is the best means by which to learn about origami. Also, this forum was a great resource, mostly because it makes it possible to converse with the few who practice origami extensively. I think everyone here has experienced loneliness for being the only one in a 50-mile radius who appreciates it as much as we do.
6) I don't really have many long-term goals with origami, other than to just get better. I work in baby-steps, so I pick one aspect I feel I should work on, then another and another. As of now, I'm working on designing my own models, and lessening my dependence on diagrams.
7) Because of school, I am not able to spend as much time on origami as I used to or would like to. But, in a week, maybe four or five hours average. If I get lucky, I can spend six hours on a Sunday alone.
8) I care about both pretty much equally. I do my best to fold something I find visually appealing, but I want to finish knowing I improved my understanding of how origami works.
9) I've been folding for about eleven years now (mostly during the summers), but I have noticed a big change, especially after visiting these forums and visiting the Origami House in Tokyo. Those events presented me with examples of what I could achieve and strive for.
10) Well, as of now, it's my own design of a hawksbill sea turtle. I really loved folding Satoshi Kamiya's models, which are perfect on many aspects, but designing your own models gives, in my opinion, a much higher sense of accomplishment. You can set a high goal, really struggle with it, give up and pick it up a few times, and then come out in the end knowing you learned a lot about your abilities and creativity.


Good luck on your paper.

Hi, dude, I´ll try to do my best for help you with your paper, so let´s rock:

sarahw wrote:1. How did you come to doing origami?

I liked it since I was a boy, but I didn´t know that there were books with models or something different to the traditional ship, birds, and whatever.

Some years ago I discovered the origami on internet so I tried to fold some of these great modesl without much success, so I left it again.

Two years ago I decided to look if there was any rose model. I found the kawasaki one and it took two afternoons until I was able to twist it. Some days later I decided to look for a stem for my rose and discovered http://www.danoftoasters.com. After it I found some other nice models so i keep on folding... until now.

sarahw wrote:2. Did you already feel a special bond/connection with Japan before you started origami?

Before starting origami I was practicing Bujinkan Budotaijutsu for 5 years, a japanese martial art, but that´s my only connection with it before origami. I find the japanese an interesting culture as many others.

sarahw wrote:3b. If yes: Has this connection become stronger now?

I think that now I know some interesting things about that culture, so I can know more things about japan than other people... but I´m not ones of these people who try to move to Japan or they use to eat with sticks... or.. you know what I´m talking about nerds

sarahw wrote:4. What about origami do you find “typical Japanese”?

Some models are, or looks like, typical japanese..

sarahw wrote:5. (How) did you research information about origami?

Internet: web, forums and e-mail lists.

sarahw wrote:6. Is there some sort of goal you want to achieve with origami?

I´d like to be able or creating my own models... but that´s quite difficult...

sarahw wrote:7. How much time do spend (on average) on origami?

Not much, but it depends... when I fold complex models, I use to spend around a hour, and then I leaves the model for another day... If model is not so complex I fold it until it´s finished: between 20 to 60 minutes, I think.

sarahw wrote:8. Do you care more about the result/the finished creation, or about the “origamiïng” itself?

I feel like a waste of time when the result is a crap... usually I give the models to friends, so they have to be nice.

sarahw wrote:9. How long have you been doing it and do you notice progress in your skills/results?

Well, after 2 years, now I can fold some models that I didn´t understand how to fold them before.

sarahw wrote:10. Which origami work that you ever made are you most proud of?

I´m not sure, because people uses to be proud about complex models, just because they are difficult, but some intermediate ones are really great... I like alot of them, sorry.

That´s all, guys!!

PS: Hope you can understand my stinky english. If something is not clear, please tell me and I´ll try to explain it better.

nikita wrote:im from austria...

May I ask which part of Austria you are living in? I live in Vienna.
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sarahw wrote:1. How did you come to doing origami?

Did it since Kindergarten, but it became really a passion when I once was on a Christmas market where an old Japanese man taught how to fold Origami Kusudamas. I learned every model he knew by heart and back home my mother gave me an Origami book...

sarahw wrote:2. Did you already feel a special bond/connection with Japan before you started origami?

No. My mother studied Japanese when I was small but that's it.

sarahw wrote:3a. If no: Do you have it now or is origami the only Japanese thing you’re interested in?

I would like to learn a little bit of Japanese, but only to be able to read some cool Origami Books.

sarahw wrote:4. What about origami do you find “typical Japanese”?

Washi Paper, but I do not use this stuff.

sarahw wrote:5. (How) did you research information about origami?

Internet.

sarahw wrote:6. Is there some sort of goal you want to achieve with origami?

I would like to become better with designing my own models.

sarahw wrote:7. How much time do spend (on average) on origami?

Hard to say. That depends a lot on my other activities (job, school). When I have as much time as I want, two or three hours a day, but usually I only fold three or four simple models that I know by heart (mostly during my way to work/school).

sarahw wrote:8. Do you care more about the result/the finished creation, or about the “origamiïng” itself?

I think most of the time the process and the finished model are equally important, but there are exceptions. Sometimes I fold a model just for the result but that happens rather seldom, more often I do it just for the folding process.

sarahw wrote:9. How long have you been doing it and do you notice progress in your skills/results?

Hm, around 20 years I think and yes I learned a lot since then. Especially in the last 5 years when I first got access to the internet, my skills increased by far.

sarahw wrote:10. Which origami work that you ever made are you most proud of?

Always the last one I successfully folded.

1. How did you come to doing origami?
I saw a TV show when I was a small kid.

2. Did you already feel a special bond/connection with Japan before you started origami?
nope.

3a. If no: Do you have it now or is origami the only Japanese thing you’re interested in?
only Origami.

4. What about origami do you find “typical Japanese”?
japanese seem to be more relaxed with their origami than the western folders, so I would say this is most typical for the japenese.

5. (How) did you research information about origami?
what kind of information?

6. Is there some sort of goal you want to achieve with origami?
nope... just have fun with folding.

7. How much time do spend (on average) on origami?
in which periode?

8. Do you care more about the result/the finished creation, or about the “origamiïng” itself?
it heavily depends on the purpose. I love folding, but I think a model is worthless when you don't pay enough love and attention onto the finishing.

9. How long have you been doing it and do you notice progress in your skills/results?
I would never dare to rate my own skills.

10. Which origami work that you ever made are you most proud of?
I'm pretty proud of all my own creations, no matter how stupid, bad and useless they are.

origami_8 wrote:

nikita wrote:im from austria...

May I ask which part of Austria you are living in? I live in Vienna.

i live in Graz!!!
can you tell me where you get your origami-papers from?
especially the big ones...?
(isnt it funny talking in english although we both could speek in german as well..)

The paper we use most often for complex models is home made. Just glue two pieces of tissue paper together with methyl cellulose on a glass plate, let it dry, remove it from the plate and cut it to the desired size.
The second paper we like to use for big models is the foilpaper you can order from Nicolas Terry's shop.
There is a whole lot of different wrapping papers available everywhere, just try them out, to see if they work for folding. Good papers are either Kraft papers or those who feel a little bit rough textured on the underside.
Sometimes I also make a tissue foil myself, but only if I know a specific model I would like to fold from it.

(You would be amazed to know how many people here actually speak/understand German )

1. How did you come to doing origami?

It all began with my brother. When he was in grade 2, and I in grade primary, he was shown folding by his teacher. Then, throughout my life, I saw things over and over again and I thought to try it. Komatsu's owl really sparked my beginning of more complex models, because when I saw it, I decided that I needed to fold it. Then, I joined this forum and it all went from there

2. Did you already feel a special bond/connection with Japan before you started origami?

Not really... I just knew that Japan was where it began.

3a. If no: Do you have it now or is origami the only Japanese thing you’re interested in?

Its the only Japanese thing that I'm interested in, I guess.

4. What about origami do you find “typical Japanese”?

The old traditional models, like the crane and the waterbomb.

5. (How) did you research information about origami?

Through the internet and as many books as I could get my hands on.

6. Is there some sort of goal you want to achieve with origami?

Right now: I want to figure out designing models from CPs again (without boxpleating)
Later on: I want to make it to many conventions.

7. How much time do spend (on average) on origami?

I am quite often folding randomly, but I guess that only time that I really fold models is about 12 times a month.

8. Do you care more about the result/the finished creation, or about the “origamiïng” itself?

I prefer the finished creation. Folding and ending up with nothing never satisfies me at all.

9. How long have you been doing it and do you notice progress in your skills/results?

I have been folding for 1 year and 7 months. I have noticed quite a bit of improvement, seeing as I now design my own models.

10. Which origami work that you ever made are you most proud of?

I'll have to take a look...

Non-boxpleated: My eagle. It came out well and I managed to diagram it
Boxpleated: My Trilobite. The flaps all ended up in the right places.

1. How did you come to doing origami?
2. Did you already feel a special bond/connection with Japan before you started origami?
3a. If no: Do you have it now or is origami the only Japanese thing you’re interested in?
3b. If yes: Has this connection become stronger now?
4. What about origami do you find “typical Japanese”?
5. (How) did you research information about origami?
6. Is there some sort of goal you want to achieve with origami?
7. How much time do spend (on average) on origami?
8. Do you care more about the result/the finished creation, or about the “origamiïng” itself?
9. How long have you been doing it and do you notice progress in your skills/results?
10. Which origami work that you ever made are you most proud of?

1. My mom tried to teach me how to fold a traditional crane when I was about 6 years old. I was frustrated because I could not do it and gave up origami. When I was 8 I came back to the crane and was able to easily fold it (it is amazing the difference a year or two can make). That was when I followed through and have continued to be fascinated by origami ever since.

2. I did not feel a bond with Japan.

3a. While origami is my primary connection with Japanese culture, I also watch anime on a fairly regular basis (college does that to you but seriously...). I think I have a stronger bond with Japan because of these two things.

4. The use of paper itself feels Japanese to me. It is also a relaxing, calming, focused, 'zen-like' activity (it is kind of an overall feeling of Japanese-ness if that makes any sense).

5. For many years I primarily folded from published books of diagrams, learning about origami that way. I experimented (mostly unsuccessfully) with designing my own models, but Origami Design Secrets by Robert Lang set me on the designing track. Now I 'research' by experimenting with my own designs, reading this forum, and browsing online.

6. I want to achieve beauty and the transcendence of an intermediary physical form through my work. By that i mean that I want my origami to mean something more than just a physical form for the viewer.

7. The time I spend on origami day-to-day fluctuates, but on average I probably spend about 1-2 hours a day on it. Sometimes I will spend many more hours a day on origami, especially on weekends or during the summer. My praying mantis, for example, takes about 4 solid hours to fold, and I folded it in a single sitting.

8. I put value on both the process of creating and the finished creation. That is not to say that I value them equally, but perhaps I should. I put more value on the process. While the result is crucial, the process is even more crucial to ensure a good finished result. It is also the time when the most learning is done.

9. I have been folding for about 10 years (not counting when I was 6). When I was first introduced to origami, i couldn't fold a crane. Now I am folding super-complex models. It is incredible what kind of progress one makes when they concentrate on improving. I could not do some of the harder steps on Robert Lang's "Blackdevil Angler" as diagrammed in Origami Sea Life, but about a year later I had no problem with them. I am also a young musician, and I see many parallels between the arts of origami and music.

10. That is a tough question. I am proud of (mostly) all of my work, but if it comes down to a single one, I have to choose my "Ryujin" design. It is a simple, elegant design, is from a dollar bill (one of my favorite origami mediums), and is very good for me, considering when I folded it.

Good luck on your paper-I hope this helps. It was a very thought-provoking interview and I had fun answering it.

1. How did you come to doing origami?

• My grandmother takes in roommates, young ladies usually from other countries going to the local college. When I was about 6 years old she had a Japanese lady staying there. I was folding something like an airplane, and she showed me how to fold a crane. I was hooked.

2. Did you already feel a special bond/connection with Japan before you started origami?

• No.

3a. If no: Do you have it now or is origami the only Japanese thing you’re interested in?

• Nope, still just origami. I tried learning a little Japanese, mainly to be able to better understand origami literature, e.g. the design papers by Meguro and Kawahata. That lasted one quarter (ten weeks).

3b. If yes: Has this connection become stronger now?

• Still no.

4. What about origami do you find “typical Japanese”?

• Lots of layers. Like how those Samurai swords have like a thousand layers packed together--so does an origami piece. Seriously, it's flippin' meticulous.

5. (How) did you research information about origami?

• Los Angeles Public Library. They actually have a heck of a selection available. I used to check out Origami Fantasy for months at a time, since it was out of print. In high school I finally had access to the internet, and I quickly learned that the internet is loaded with origami resources. At the time these were mainly origami.com and the O-List. This forum was still a few years down the line.

6. Is there some sort of goal you want to achieve with origami?

• Perfection. I don't know--something like writing the perfect song, or painting the perfect picture, solving the perfect theorem. There's an origami analog to be sure, and I'd like to be the one to discover it.

7. How much time do spend (on average) on origami?

• It depends. Some weeks I'll spend upwards of 30 hours on origami, while others nearly none. This does not include time browsing origami webpages, forums, mailing lists etc. Lately all I've really been doing is reading.

8. Do you care more about the result/the finished creation, or about the “origamiïng” itself?

• As an origami creator and folder I would definitely say that the process, or "origamiing" is much more interesting. Some works of origami look dazzling, but are an absolute bear to fold. Others may not look so hot, but have quite an enjoyable folding sequence. Of course a good balance is optimal, but I would prefer a fun folding. In my own designs I strive for this.

9. How long have you been doing it and do you notice progress in your skills/results?

• I have been folding for 14 years I think. Yeah, that 14 years has made a huge difference. Actually, the discovery of supercomplex origami when I first entered the web caused a huge change. This includes sending me down the design path. Other helpful things were learning about the origami club(s) in my city, and attending my first convention, PCOC 2003, in San Diego. (I urge everyone to go to a convention. It WILL CHANGE the way you look at folding.) Also online I learned about crease patterns. I learned to fold them before they became so ubiquitous, and they certainly help in understanding why origami "works".

10. Which origami work that you ever made are you most proud of?

• This is a hard question. I used to say my bear, as I believed it is the best bear in all of origami. Then a major flaw in inefficiency was recognized, remedied, and I still had the best bear in origami. It looked exactly the same, but was efficient that time. I had some old flying beetles, with point-splits for claws, before I had ever seen anyone else do that. I have lots of cool things, it's hard to pick just one. But my best work....it's a secret.

Good luck on your project. Hopefully my and others' responses have helped.

4. The use of paper itself feels Japanese to me. It is also a relaxing, calming, focused, 'zen-like' activity (it is kind of an overall feeling of Japanese-ness if that makes any sense).

are you doing yoga, qigong or anything like that?

No...just origami

Hey everyone, i just wanted to thank you all for your anwsers; they have been very helpfull and i had fun reading everything you all said! And thank you so much for the quick replies! If anyone understands dutch by any chance and is interested in reading it when its finished feel free to mail me! Anyway thank you all very much and if other people still want to anwser the questions please do I still have a few weeks before i have to hand it in, all the info is welcome!
Sarah

Hi, Sarah!
I just got into origami 8 months ago.. so I'm still a beginner and I don't consider myself as a professional.
I'm want to help you too. Should I participate?
Thx