Inspiration and Benefits From Making Origami
My grandfather would always fold origami and teach me the steps in my younger days, and as I grow old, I enjoyed this activity, and soon it became one of my favorite hobbies. Originating from Japan, China, and Europe, Origami is the art of paper-folding, using only one square sheet of paper to fold into sculptures without cutting, gluing, and taping.
Origami originated from the Japanese words “ori,” which means folding, and “kami,” which means paper. When the paper was invented in China, Folding paper yuanbao or gold nuggets are standard in traditional Chinese funerals. These are thrown in the fire after the ceremony. While in Japan, paper-folding was used in ceremonial Shinto rituals. During the Edo Period, Origami is also viewed as a leisure activity and an art. Initially, when folding Origami, the artist could strategically cut the paper. However, genuine Origami is only made by folding the paper; This is an attribute adopted by the Japanese from the Europeans. In Europe, Friedrich Fröbel, the kindergartens’ founder, incorporated paper-folding in his curriculum, and Origami is taught in schools. Now, People used Origami for many things, which helped develop the future. Origami is beneficial to the world because it helps in technological advancements, improves an individual’s skills, and acts as therapy to the mentally ill.
There have been many inventions that were inspired by Origami. An example is a Deep-sea grabber, and a Harvard University roboticist Robert Wood invents it. The device has five arms interconnecting pentagons and triangles, folding into a 12-sided container to trap soft-bodied animals without harming them. It can also fold its arms only using a single motor, and this can be attached to a robotic submarine. Another invention made by a team of engineers at Brigham Young University is a lightweight bulletproof shield that can protect several people, and it can fold to fit the trunk of a car. It also inspired new inventions in the medical field.
An example is the Tiny Ingestible Robot, made by the researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It is a small robot that could fit in a pill, and once the pill enters the body, the small bot will unfurl itself. It can help remove foreign objects, help patch wounds, and help deliver medicine to organs. Engineers have also applied Origami in spacecraft, like Planetary explorer made by Jaakko Karras, an engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It is a small planetary rover made from folded-up circuit boards. The rover’s wheels folded for spaceflight, but it goes back to its standard form once it arrives at its destination. While exploring a planet and it encountered tight spaces, it can fold its wheel to squeeze and pass through.
Aside from inspiring engineers and researchers to create new inventions, it can improve individuals and their skills. Origami can help introduce and understand different math concepts, like Geometry, because shapes could be identified like square, triangle, rectangle, and rhombus when folding the paper. Learning Fractions and Symmetry is also evident because there are steps wherein the person will fold the paper in half, and some steps require the person to do the same folds on the other half of the paper. Problem Solving is applied because folding Origami allows the researcher to work on the problem, find the mistake, and evaluate what step went wrong. It can also teach Sequencing Skills because the person has to follow steps to complete the three-dimensional object. Origami can help develop and improve life skills such as patience, attention, and concentration because when folding Origami, it takes time to complete a piece. After all, some steps could be complicated, or sometimes there would be mistakes in the fold.
It also takes time to understand each step and apply these to the paper. Additionally, to avoid mistakes as much as possible, the person needs to concentrate and be attentive to the steps’ details and be attentive to their folds. Lastly, it could help stimulate the brain by improving hand-eye coordination because the person gets to manipulate and move the paper around. Both the hands and the eyes need to work together to accomplish the artwork. It also exercises or works both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Theoretically, the left hemisphere of the brain is for logical, analytical, rational skills. It controls the right side of the body, while the brain’s right hemisphere is used for creativity and imagination and control the left side of the body.
Furthermore, both parts of the hemisphere are challenged through Origami because it encourages creativity and logical skills. Lastly, it strengthens memory because the person would continuously practice an Origami to master the art, and eventually, they would end up memorizing the steps.
There are some instances where people use Origami as Art Therapy. According to a study by Susan Sze, Origami has educational benefits for people with different types of disabilities. People with physical and health impairments can improve their motor skills with Origami. In contrast, people with emotional and behavioral disorders like depression and anxiety can relieve their stress through Origami’s calming effects. People with learning disabilities can follow explicit instruction and sequential learning through following the steps to accomplish the Origami.
Additionally, people with attention deficit or hyperactive disorder can improve their attention span and concentration with Origami. It can also increase frustration tolerance because there are moments where specific steps are hard to follow, which could be very frustrating. Due to this, one can apply coping skills to manage their frustration, like taking deep breathes or asking for help. Origami encourages one to let go of perfection and judgment because there are instances where one will not fold specific steps correctly or folds that are not symmetrically aligned. Sometimes, the folds do not need to be perfect because the final product still looks like the original sculpture. Lastly, Origami builds self-efficacy, which means that one believes that one could accomplish tasks and reach goals. Because when folding Origami, one will believe that they could finish the Origami and look similar to the sculpture. Moreover, as one builds self-efficacy, they also build their self-esteem and confidence.
Initially, People used Origami in religious ceremonies and rituals, or they saw it as an activity to past time or leisure. However, in modern times, it was used as an inspiration or a basis for new inventions, used for physical and mental therapy, and used to improve and understand oneself or self-development. Despite having an ancient background, Origami has contributed a lot to the modern age.
