Ryder Patton
What is origami? Loosely translated, “origami refers to the
art of paper folding”. (ori= folding; kami/gami= paper) This paper art first originated in Japan in the 17th
century. The trick is to turn a piece of
paper of equal sides (2x2, 3x3, or 4x4, etc) into a piece of art with neither
the use of glue to hold it together, nor cutting it with scissors.
The most well known origami form is the
Japanese crane. According to a Japanese
legend, when a person folds 1000 cranes, a wish will be granted. This is portrayed in the non-fiction book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. In this story, Sadako developed leukemia from
the radiation that was from the atomic bomb dropped by the United States
in 1945. She had only one wish, which
was to live. She managed to fold only
644 cranes before she became too weak to fold any more. She died soon after that. Her family and friends continued her dream by
completing all 1000 cranes. A statue was
erected in Sadako’s honor, where she is holding a giant golden crane. Every year on Peace Day, people gather and
leave their 1000 cranes hanging on the statue to pray, remember, and honor.
Origami has become a hobby of
mine. Most people consider origami as a
very frustrating and stressful activity due to the instructions being
complicated or totally confusing. For
me, it’s the opposite. I like to figure
things out, eventually creating something out of a flat piece of paper. I find satisfaction with knowing I
accomplished those steps to create something very unique. I also enjoy the feel of crinkling paper
between my fingers, watching the creases of paper fold unto itself and fall
into place as I progress with each step.
It can be quite relaxing!
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| "Find Your Ommmm" - Photography by Ryder Patton |
For instance, there is an ornamental heart made by a dollar bill. This can be
a very cool way to leave a tip to a very worthy waiter/waitress. Or you may add these hearts on a card using
different colored paper and give them away for Valentine’s Day!
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Ryder Patton was available to provide us some hands-on work learning how to make origami as part of Deaf Spotlight's Spotlight Studio.
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A big thank you to those who came to
the event! I hope to host another
origami folding workshop in the future.
Until next time, keep folding!
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