I joined the origami club at my university-- something I had wanted to do ever since my first year at school, but which I had never been able to make the time for until now. The experience so far has been everything I could have hoped for.
Arguably, rather than being formally and rigorously dedicated to the art of origami, the club itself is more of a quiet social club-- every Friday, the members will gather in one of the many study rooms on campus and sit around a large table to fold models of their choosing. Casual conversation and playful banter quickly fills the room. Many of the people there have been friends with each other for years. Nonetheless, I haven't found it difficult or awkward to make an occasional quip or interjection, though for the most part I am content to listen to them talk as I work on completing my own model.
The club owns a small library of diagram books (which contain the visual instructions needed to fold the models), and a varied selection of colourful and patterned papers of all sizes, so there's no need to bring anything in order to start folding. The only thing that could possibly enhance the experience would be a hot water boiler and some tea. I wonder if I could suggest the addition to one of the organizers...
Although I hadn't attempted any new models in years, following diagrammed instructions isn't a skill that one forgets. On my first day there I made this mola mola, an animal I find to be equal parts charming and exasperating. It wasn't an overly complicated model, and took me only a little under an hour to puzzle out.
I am thinking of making a few tutorials for origami models eventually. I'm most fond of animal-themed models, but I have always wanted to explore geometric and modular origami. For now, I'll keep visiting the club whenever I have the the time to.
~Mel.
