A Writer's Notebook, Day Seven-Hundred-And-Ninety-Seven

For a very long time I have been interested in origami, and I've worked many times on some rather advanced models.  One of my favorites is a gorilla pattern by master origami artist Akira Yoshizawa, a pattern I have folded so many times I almost know it by memory, even now, after not having practiced it in months, but which I still cannot ever seem to get just right.  I find paper to be an interesting, even magical medium for art, not only because of my love for literature and books, and the associations this brings, but also because of the complexity possible with such a simple material.  This interest, and the interest in the potentials of what can be done with something as humble as paper, is one that continues to grow and change for me.  I can spend long periods sitting and playing with a single piece of paper, attempting to see how it might be possible to do this or that.

Of late, this interest has become intensified as I've begun exploring the possibilities of pop-up paper art.  There is something truly magical in the idea of a flat page being opened to reveal things that could not have fit within, and I keep seeing possibilities within the medium that seems really astounding to me.  Right now, I am really just starting out, trying to figure out some very basic ideas and get them working, but it is very exciting, and it is reinvigorating me creatively.  While I love writing, and am dedicated to working on this craft each day, it is possible to get stuck in a creative rut, or to feel the energy of inspiration flagging, even when still pushing through.  While I do believe that I am working towards something that will bring value in my life, and to my creative output in general, I also know that even giving time to this in a purely selfish way, not as a pursuit intended for anything but my own satisfaction, is bringing me rewards in terms of my own connection to my creative energy and imagination.

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