10th June 2018
Origami has always been an intense interest of mine. The ancient art of paper folding fascinates me and I love folding models of varying difficulty. I have studied origami on and off for many years now and have a nice collection of models which I have folded throughout this time. My favourite origami artist is from Vietnam and is called Pham Dinh Tuyen. Origami artists often have a style that runs through their designs and I love his designs. His models are very angular and geometric which appeals to another love of mine, geometry. There are some origami models that are so complex they can look life like, I admire these but prefer the angular designs that you find in both of Pham Dinh Tuyen books “Wild Origami” and “Classic Origami” The model at the front of this blog is his Hare from this book.
This got me thinking of why I like origami as an intense interest and I think that it is very suited to people that are on the Autistic Spectrum. Below is my list of eleven reasons why I think this is and why you might want to give it a go.
1. It is creative. It is well documented that mental illnesses such as anxiety can be helped by being creative. Since Autistic people are likely to suffer from anxiety due to sensory overload and social anxiety, creative origami can help to alleviate those symptoms. There is something immensely satisfying about taking raw material, in this case a sheet of paper and turning it into something else, be it a complex model of a beetle or a simple traditional origami crane.
2. There is a wide resource of origami available. There are countless free instructions for a range of different models available online as well as tutorial videos on media website such as YouTube. Along with this there are hundreds of books available to buy and I would say that the average book has around twenty models to make. The great thing about all these resources is that you can find models that suit your interests and skill level.
3. You can combine origami with other intense interests. There are origami models and instructions for everything you can think from spoons to insects to vehicles and figurines. Therefore if you are Autistic and have another intense interest you can combine it with origami. For example, if you have an intense interest in dinosaurs then you can fold several origami dinosaurs. A good book for this example is John Montroll’s “Dinosaur Origami” with many models. He also produce origami books with other themes such as seal life and animals.
4. Collecting. As origami has a wide range of models that can be grouped into subjects such as flowers, an Autistic person can also use it as a hobby to satisfy the need for collecting. For example, if you like collecting models and images of butterflies, you can specialise in folding origami butterflies. Origami artists often create many varying models and designs for the same subject. As well as this you can also collect models produce by one origami artist, whose style you like, this is exactly how I was with Pham Dinh Tuyen. I have gone through his books cover to cover folding his models.
5. It is cheap. The cool thing about origami as a hobby is that all you need is paper. And that paper can be anything, even old newspapers and magazines. Yes, there are more expensive origami papers available to buy in a variety of colours and textures but if you can’t afford them, there are cheaper alternatives. A two pound 3m roll of wrapping paper can provide you with hours of paper folding fun.
6. You can control the style of your models. As mentioned above paper comes in a huge variety of styles. I know some Autistics who love lots of bright colours so if they produced origami models, they can reflect this love of colour. On the other hand if you prefer minimalism then plain white paper can provide a more pleasing visual. The cool thing is that you can choose what material to use – you can even produce the same model over and over again but in a wide range of colours and patterns.
7. Displaying Origami models. This links into the aspect of collecting – once you have folded several models then you might want to display them. Autistic people often like to arrange things and a series of origami models on a shelf, in a display cabinet or even hung from a ceiling can look awesome. There is also a form of origami which involves folding paper into tessellated patterns. I have seen these displayed in a picture frame on the wall and can add real interest to a room. I enjoy modular origami which involves folding complex geometric shapes – my desk at work has some good examples I have made to de-stress me.
8. Level of Difficulty. Origami models can be basic, intermediate, to the downright difficult. There are models to suit whatever your level is. This makes origami both an easy hobby to get started with, and a hobby in which you can develop and grow. Simple folds develop into more complex ones and more complex models. Autistic people exist on a spectrum, we are all different. I think origami is similar to this – a spectrum of levels, models and styles. There is something to suit everyone. Also it is an interest which can be carried out by both children and adults alike. Even as a family activity.
9. Time. Alongside the changes of level, origami models have can vary in the time required to fold them. Simple models can be folded in minutes whereas large complex models, which can have hundreds of instructions, can become long term projects taking hours to fold. One of my positive Autistic traits is the ability to hyper focus, and a difficult origami model can satisfy this. Models can also act like puzzles. Sometimes it can be a real challenge to work out a complex fold and it takes a while to figure out what to do, even with instructions and videos. There can be a real sense of achievement once a complex model is completed.
10. Stimming. Stimming is extremely important for Autistic people as it allows them to calm down and protect themselves when experiencing anxiety and sensory overload. Items such as fidget spinners, fidget cubes and tangle bracelets all help with this, but these items can be expensive. There is a branch of origami known as kinetic origami which means the models move. It is also known as action origami. A lot of these models provide a repetitive movement which you can play with. For example, there is a model by called “Fireworks” by Yami Yamauchi, which folds in on itself creating a loop of changing colour and shapes. You can find instructions online on how to fold it and it is a fairly simple model you can make to play with.
11. Social. There can also be a social aspect to Origami as people can fold together. The British Origami Society is a huge organisation that runs annually conventions and meetings where people can get together to discuss and fold all aspects of origami. Membership to the society also means a monthly magazine which has models to fold, book reviews and much more. This may not appeal to all Autistics, but it is there for those that want to be a part of it and to expand the hobby into something more social.
So there you have it. These are my reasons why I think origami is a great hobby for Autistic people. If you want to try origami for yourself there are plenty of resource websites online, YouTube tutorial videos and hundreds of books. Search the internet and you’ll find something that will suit you. Give it a go – it might not be to your liking but if it is then you might find yourself an exciting new interest.