At an origami convention in New York City, Vicente Palacios, an origami artist and teacher from Spain, related how people often asked him what is origami good for. He would respond with another question: “What are babies good for?”
We certainly enjoy folding origami pieces that extend beyond the joy of creating and folding them. Many times these pieces are described as “useful origami” because we can place a trinket inside, or can use them as a picture frame, an envelope or bookmark, for example.
But if we label an origami box as “useful”, does that imply that an origami crane or a flower is “useless”?
If we focus on making “useful origami”, aren’t we emphasizing only the end result and not considering as equally important the happiness that the process of folding brings us?
Isn’t origami useful in the same way a baby is useful… an invitation to love, to play, to have joy, to discover, to learn, to have a light heart and to make people happy?
Today, March 20th, is the International Day of Happiness. Let’s celebrate it by acknowledging and sharing the happiness that the practice of folding paper brings to our lives.
Make some origami today…
…and add happiness to your life!
“However you discover the art, you will always be grateful you did. Paperfolding is a delightful experience, an intellectual challenge, an entertainment, an opportunity to share ideas, and things of beauty, and therefore, a joy forever“ ~Rick Beech
Find here more origami instructions to make you happy.
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Photo: courtesy of Carolina Aguilera