Fold Greatness

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Sorry But I'm Running Out of Title Ideas (#5)

I’m determined to get my money’s worth out of a membership I have with Venngage. (Long story. But let’s just say I’m still really bitter about having to pay the company to download a project.) So I’m back at it again with another infographic. In case you were wondering, my information about modular origami came from a book I got from the library, Mind-Blowing Modular Origami: The Art of Polyhedral Paper Folding by Byriah Loper.

Despite the fact that my research topic this week was modular origami, I normally stay away from modular origami because it requires having multiple pieces of paper of the same color(s). Well, I say requires, but it’s not really necessary. It’s just that for most pieces, it looks weird when you don’t stick to a certain color or colors. Plus, I hate that it uses up so many pieces of paper. It makes me feel like I’m wasting so much paper for just one piece, though it’s not like I’m actually wasting it. However, I discovered an old stockpile of origami I had in my living room. While limited in color choices, there were multiple pieces of each color. Since my focus this week was modular origami, I decided to make the Sonobe Module. Created by Mitsunobu Sonobe in the 1970s, the Sonobe Module is a modular unit that paved the way for numerous new, modular designs and variations over the next couple of decades. The basic design is a parallelogram with two tabs and two "pockets." Into these pockets, corresponding tabs of other Sonobe units can be inserted to form a number of polyhedra. My finished unit only had six modules since I haven’t really tried modular origami before, and I figured going for more would probably be too extreme. I have found an octahedron version, though, that looks cool, so I may try that next week.

As for my other pieces, I ended up technically learning six instead of my normal five. Earlier today, Katherine over at http://creatingwhyallthefuss.blogspot.com/ taught me how to make a pinwheel. Despite it being one of those classic, beginner origami pieces, I had never actually learned how to make it before. Katherine claims she’s terrible at origami, but it’s not like folding a pinwheel is easy enough that a baby could do it. (A simple dog or cat head? Now that’s what I call easy.) The last four folds are actually slightly complicated.

Other than that, I also made a slinky dog (which is so fun to compress and stretch out), a koi fish, a bunny, and a cat-heart-pocket-thing. The koi fish gave me the most trouble since I ripped the paper folding the koi fish the first time around, and I had a great deal of trouble shaping the body (so it’s a bit wrinkly). For the fish I had to pull back the tail while holding the mouth and puff up the paper so that the body section would be round, but it was kind of tough when the paper kept folding in on itself instead of staying inflated. The slinky dog was pretty complicated, because it requires a billion folds, making it easy to fold the wrong thing. It was totally worth it though. However, the cat heart box definitely wins first place in this week's lineup. I mean, look how cute it is. I talked about the bunny in my video blog, so if you’ve watched that you know that, like the koi, it was also pretty problematic. In the end it came out okay, though.

Once again, I found myself folding origami in class. It seems to just be a reflex now. I’m folding so often now that it kind of just… happens. We got handed a rectangular piece of pink paper in German, and as soon as we were done with it, I had ripped a strip off, turning it into a square. Frau Wilson didn’t seem mad since she said she liked the crane I made out of it, though I’m not sure whether or not she realized I was folding it during class. In homeroom I made a second, teeny-weeny one by ripping a square off the strip I ripped off the original piece of paper. Despite it being like 2 cm by 2 cm, I folded it in like 2 minutes, a new record for me. Part of me suspects that it’s because of all the practice I’ve gotten with folding from this project which is pretty cool. As a bonus I've also included a picture of some random origami I can't even remember folding. (Pretty sure I made it Health class though...)

I’m also super excited since I think I hit the jackpot with this site: https://www.paperkawaii.com/ There’s a ton of video tutorials, neatly organized, with difficulty ratings. I seriously wish I had stumbled across this site earlier. The owner of the site also runs a different website at http://www.papercrystal.com which has a bunch of free, printable origami paper patterns. Everything is so aesthetic which makes me weirdly giddy… I only discovered it today, so only one of my pieces comes from the site, the cat heart box. (I’d already completed my other ones). I’m totally trying more of the tutorials next week though since there’s a bunch of creative designs I haven’t seen before. There's no narration for the videos, but it goes at the best pace I've seen so far. Slow enough that I'm not constantly pausing, but not so slow that it feels tedious.

Want to learn this week’s pieces yourself? Check out the links below!
Cat Heart Pocket
Bunny
Koi Fish
Sonobe Cube
Slinky Dog

Maya A. 1:37 PM

Insert Witty Vlog Title Here

I think I spent more time preparing for this video blog than I did actually filming it. Every time I attempted to get it done I would boot up the computer and pull up PhotoBooth. Then I’d stare at the camera for awhile as I pretended like I was going to record it, but ultimately end up giving up.. It made me really stressed for some reason, probably because I despise filming myself (throwback to my short film for Gifted Tech *shudder*). Once I managed to actually press the record button, though, it was pretty easy, and I ended up only filming it once. (Except for the horrible Dell Webcam mishap. Remind me never to use Dell Webcam ever again.) Oh, and I have to apologize for the poor lighting. For some reason, every light in my house casts this weird, yellowish glow which makes for terrible lighting.

Technically I could have just made this video my weekly update, but I decided to instead use it to answer some of the questions I’ve gotten on the blog by giving a more in-depth look at what I’m doing as well as give some advice. It’s more work for me, but I think it’s worth it. So don’t worry, my usual behemoth of a weekly post is still heading your way.

I present to you, my humble viewers, my video blog:

Friday, March 17, 2017

Maya A. 5:32 PM Extra! Extra!

Sticky Notes and Birthday Cards

If you read my first post, you’ll know that I used to (and still do) love sticky-note origami. It doesn’t work for everything, though. Since the paper has a strip of sticky stuff on the back, it’s not great for pieces like this week’s butterfly box, where the back of the sticky-note shows or is on the outside. It kind of ruins the whole aesthetic when there’s just this grey band full of random dirt and lint peeking out. However, it works great for ones where only one side of the paper is visible, like with a crane. Plus, since the paper is smaller, all the pieces just look twenty times cuter (as tiny things usually do).

In the beginning of the year I was folding sticky-note cranes left and right in class. I know, I know, some of you are gasping at the fact that I would dare not pay attention in any class. Or maybe you’re not. I don’t really know. Other than the heart and the box, it was the only piece I retained from my origami phase, and I’d make it all the time. I’ve made it so many times that I could probably make one blind-folded. I sort of stopped for a couple months since I knew it wasn’t the best way to be spending my time in class, regardless of how boring the teacher/curriculum was. However, I couldn’t help myself today, and I ended up folding some origami in Health class. No offense to Mr. Stokes, but the class can get really dull. Since the curriculum is stuff I already know, it’s hard to stay focused. Plus, the students are off-task the majority of the time, so we have to trudge through the content, even the basic stuff.

I mean, I do still pay attention while I'm folding, so I guess it could be a worse habit. Today in general was pretty stressful, and I think I needed something to take my mind off of that. I first folded a single elephant, but, figuring I had enough time to make a second one, I granted her a friend. (Their names are currently undecided, but I'm working on it.) It was nice to be able to add a new piece to my sticky-note repertoire, and it's too bad not all of the pieces I've learned so far work with sticky notes.

Last post I talked about a birthday gift for my friend who’s birthday is tomorrow, and I figured, why not use the elephants as part of her birthday card? (Hand-making cards is the best, and I never give up the opportunity to craft one.) I’m already giving her a butterfly box, so why not throw in some more origami? I think the card came out pretty nice, even though I had to break out the glue gun to get it to lay down on the paper properly. The speech bubble is really lopsided though, which bothers me more than it should. Since it's technically origami, I decided I might as well share it here.

Just an FYI, my video blog/vlog will be up sometime later this weekend, most likely on Sunday.

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Maya A. 2:05 PM Weekly Update

The Coffee Buzz Without the Coffee (#4)

It’s nice that we have a snow day today, but I’m a little bitter that the freezing rain/wind/snow started making a huge racket in the morning, keeping me from sleeping in. So instead of sleeping until 10:00, I was forced to awaken at 8:00 in the morning. It feels a little like I was cheated. However, I kind of feel really hyper despite not sleeping a ton, though that’s probably from the medication I’m taking for my sinus-infection-that’s-not-the-totally-debilitating-kind-so-not-an-excuse-for-missing-school-but-still-bad-enough-that-I’m-congested-24/7. It’s main side-effect is making the user feel like they’ve drank 7 cups of coffee (though it’s not actually that extreme). Fun, right? At least the hype has left me in a super productive mood today which is a plus. I wouldn’t say I’m ahead (when am I ever), but I’m not behind, so that’s pretty good in my mind.

This week’s research topic was Akira Yoshizawa, the Father of Modern Origami. Since I was already making an infographic for History, I figured why not make one for this project as well? I couldn’t help but use the same color palette for this one as the one for my History project, because who can resist gold and purple. (It’s just one of those perfect combos.) While I may no longer be using the book I talked about in past blog posts (Akira Yoshizawa: Japan’s Greatest Origami Master) for origami instructions, it still has plenty of useful information, including a biography on Akira Yoshizawa. I took some what I thought to be the most important events in his life and arranged them into the timeline on the left.

To see a larger, clearer version (since Blogger doesn't let you zoom in on pictures) you can also see it here at this link: https://infograph.venngage.com/publish/26ea1c81-aa47-4b1f-aacd-05edcd0e5f42

For my pieces I made a bat, a double pyramid stand, a dinosaur, a stingray, and a butterfly box. I love all of them, though I have to say I adore the double pyramid stand, the stingray and the butterfly box. Prior to making the stand, I was doubtful that it would hold a phone like the instructions I used claimed it would. After all, origami paper is thin and tears easily (as I’ve found the hard way). However, it works great, and it uses the special gold foil origami paper that I love, love, love. (Okay, sorry, I’ll stop now.) Stingrays are one of my favorite animals, and my number one priority whenever I walk into an aquarium is to find the stingrays. Despite being kind of dangerous, they're so cute and innocent looking. Anyway, I think I may make a second butterfly box and give it to one of my friends for her birthday. Since my birthday is the day after hers, we always do some sort of gift exchange. It’s the piece that took me the longest to make but it’d be perfect for holding a little note and would make a cute gift. Other than that however, I have no clue what to get her which is kind of bad since her birthday is this weekend. Oops.

Anyway, that’s it for today, so no bazillion-word post today (unlike last week’s). Despite being hyper-active, I still feel really tired which makes no sense. I’m guessing this is what it feels like when you’re a college student who's pulled two consecutive all-nighters and is running entirely on energy drinks and coffee. About to collapse any second from sleep-deprivation, but still bouncing off the walls. (I literally feel like I’m buzzing.)

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Maya A. 5:30 PM Extra! Extra!

Expert Interview

For once I’m ahead of the game. Surprising, right? It’s actually pretty nice to know that the interview component of this project is over and done with rather than looming over my head. The expert I chose to interview is Robert Lang who I briefly discussed in an earlier post. I figured I’d go ahead and give you a brief, but more in-depth look at who he is as well as include his TED Talk (shown below).

Robert Lang has been a student of origami for more than forty years and is recognized as one of the world’s leading masters of the art. He’s had over 500 of his designs cataloged and diagrammed, with these designs being known for their realism and attention to detail. He currently gives lectures on origami and how it relates to math, science, and technology as well as teaches workshops on the techniques and applications of folding in industrial design.

Included below are some of his designs. (Keep in mind these only use a single piece of paper!)

White Rhinoceros

Invicta

Organist

Now onto the interview…

1. How did you become interested in origami?

I started at age six, when I found some instructions in a book of crafts.

2. What do you enjoy most about origami? What about it has sustained your interest in it?

It’s the same thing: the endless variety of what’s possible from what seems like such simple and material: an uncut sheet of paper.

3. The majority of your work/research deals with the mathematical aspects of origami, so I’m curious as to whether or not you view origami as more of an art form or more of a science?

I don’t. Some origami figures are more mathematical, some are more artistic, but there’s no sweeping generalization that describes all origami.

4. What do you see as the future of origami?

Ever greater expansion in multiple directions: new subjects, new materials, new sizes and scales, new methods of folding.

5. Are there any new concepts or ideas you have in mind as to what you would like to do with origami next?

Right now I’m particularly interested in the mathematics of curved folding, so that’s probably what I’ll next be working n.

6. In April I will be giving a TED Talk-type presentation for this project (4-5 minutes long, explaining my passion for origami and my process for creating my final product, an origami mobile composed of the various pieces I make throughout the project). Having done a TED Talk yourself, what would be your main tips or suggestions?

Speak conversationally, like you were explaining to a friend. Don’t read a written statement. (Definitely don’t read your slides to the audience!)

Interested in learning more? You can visit Robert Lang's website at: http://www.langorigami.com/

If you have any suggestion for follow-up questions, he agreed to answer any future inquires, so have at it.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

Maya A. 1:07 PM Weekly Update

2 Down, 3 to Go (Alternatively Titled: Apologies for my Incessant Ranting) (#3)

I added a gallery page on Wednesday, I want to say? (I have no concept of how time moves or what day it is anymore. Blame the sleep deprivation.) Go check it out if you want to see my pieces (and my terrible photography skills). It looks fine now, but let me just say that it took me like an hour to properly format it. Blogger is so frustrating that I wouldn’t be surprised if its sole purpose was to confuse and annoy people. I’m imagining that the creator of Blogger is just sitting in a dark, creepy lair, the light of his or her computer screen casting an eerie glow upon his or her face, cackling evilly, knowing that thousands of people have suffered as result of Blogger. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but inserting images into a page and arranging them is surprisingly difficult. There’s no real way to line them up next to each other, only to order them left, right, or center. I’m already dreading put my next group of pictures on there. Enough complaining though. On to the actual origami part.

I received the answers to my interview questions from Robert Lang, and I’ll post them later this week along with his TED Talk and website link. There’s a chance that I’ll ask him some follow-up questions as I go continue with the project, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, I was really impressed that he replied to my emails so quickly and so cordially and grateful that he was even willing to participate in the first place. Others had said that their expert turned them down or that they still didn’t have a reply, so I guess I was more on the lucky side.

By accident, it turned out that the origami pieces I chose to do this week all had a ton of inside reverse folds, a fold I’m terrible at. While it did make some parts of the folding process more difficult, I think it helped improve my ability to do one. Especially when I compare my inside reverse folds in the elephant trunk to the ones I did for last week’s sea turtle legs. The most difficult one out of these five pieces was either the cuckoo or the cardinal. As the only piece whose instructions came from a book rather than online, I was expecting the cuckoo to be hard, but it was way more difficult than I anticipated. I think from now on I’m sticking exclusively to online instructions since while I like having a physical how-to, I don’t have the spatial awareness to follow them properly. There’s plenty of videos online, so it’s not like I’ll have a shortage of tutorials.

This week’s batch of origami is definitely my favorite, because they’re all just so cute (excluding the cardinal which didn’t turn out great). I made an elephant, cardinal, cuckoo, lotus flower, and bumblebee. The elephant and the lotus came out smaller than I expected, and for some reason, tiny things are naturally adorable. Plus, the new origami paper I bought last week is far prettier than the patterned ones I received from my grandmother (sorry, Grandma). I will say though, that the quality of the patterned ones is better. The paper is thicker and so doesn’t rip as easily as the plain ones. Also, shout out to Nikki over at Painting My Own Picture for letting me borrow her Sharpie for the bee. (Sorry if I used up all the ink!)

On the work day I took notes on the history of origami, and it was nice to take handwritten notes for once. I only have the opportunity to write them in German where our notes are taken by hand. No offense to my laptop, but I (low key) hate it with a burning passion. Frankly, it’s hard not to when it flashes the “Seizure-Inducing, Purple Screen of Death” every time I so much try to wake it up from sleep mode. I take notes on it for the majority of my classes, and while it’s certainly more efficient, time-wise, than taking notes by hand, I miss handwritten notes. The aesthetics and enjoyment level far surpass those of OneNote notes. I love taking notes in pen, but since I often mess up, the whole thing usually ends up coming out terribly. Overall, they look pretty good, though the timeline at the bottom isn’t very accurate in terms of sizes. However, since it was in pen, I figured I’d just work with it.

I seem to be stressed 24/7, and it’s probably not a good sign that the comic at the right is one of the most relatable things I’ve ever seen. It’s a pretty accurate representation of my life right now. I need to stop procrastinating, but for some reason, my brain would rather pretend that homework and projects are nonexistent. The knowledge that I have to do all this work stresses me out, so I put it in a box, pretend it doesn’t exist, and wait for it to later explode. It’s not a great cycle, and I’m trying to work on it. Of course, it’s hard to break any habit, so there hasn’t been a ton of improvement. This Genius Project is the only thing I willingly work on ahead of time, so at least there’s that, right? It helps that I actually like this project. I genuinely enjoy folding the origami and writing these blog posts. In fact, I probably enjoy it too much, because I keep spending all my time on this project instead of my other work. For example, this blog post ended up at a whopping 976 words. That's like an entire essay. Whoops. I’m going to end this now before I bore you all to death, though stay tuned for both the interview post as well as a gallery update with a new batch of origami.