Origami

Origami
Bettering our world...one cubicle at a time

Monday, December 21, 2009

Getting Ready - welcome to the challenge

So here it is. The much anticipated blog for office origami. Spurred on by my wonderful co-workers, I was dared to start a blog that would capture an almost impossible task: create a blog that would allow my friends and of course co-workers, to follow along as I try to create a different origami for every day of the work week for one full year.

Now, you might ask, "are you really good at origami?" or "you must really love origami to want to do it every day for a whole year." But here is the funny thing; I know almost nothing about origami. The only thing I have ever known how to make are paper cranes.

It all began on a wonderful trip I took to Germany and Poland with the Canadian Centre for Diversity to visit, learn and share the stories of the Holocaust. Feeling overwhelmed and somewhat unable to express my feelings of sorrow and hope all intertwined at once, I felt that learning to make a paper crane and leave it wherever I felt my heart was touched would be my way of showing that I was there and that I remembered. I left a trail of cranes across the hills of Poland and down the railroad tracks into Auschwitz itself.

When I returned home, the crane represented a way for me to calm my nerves and ease my soul. It eventually turned into a mundane habit as I sat at dinner tables or worked on the computer. My urge to learn more, and begin to really master the art of origami seemed like the next logical step.

So here is the deal. In order to beautify my somewhat bland cubicle at work - I will make a different origami piece every work day from January 1st 2010 all the way to December 31st 2010. By the end of the year there will be a serious montage of paper masterpieces that will slowly enhance the beauty of my workspace and hopefully add some smiles and looks of wonder to my friendly friends at work.

I will document each origami and discuss on its complexities, frustrations and tips on how to do it yourself. I will post directions and pictures of each origami and a continual documentation of the beautifying of my cubicle throughout the year. It is hoped that it will shine a ray of sunshine on my co-workers and perhaps start a movement of office origami around the world! (or around the hallway at least).

I'm not sure where this blog is really going to go, but I was dared to do it....so here I am...with little direction, little knowledge but lots of determination!

So next on the list:

1. Get friends ..........to join my blog
2. Get a book on origami
3. Buy some paper - lots of fun colours
4. Outline the order of origami for the year
5. Figure out what my finale piece will be for the end of 2010

See you in the new year! - I dare you to join along :I

Kirby