the season for nonviolence

"Only when it's dark enough, can you see the stars." 

Martin Luther King Jr.

Tomorrow, January 30th, marks the beginning of the Season for Nonviolence, a 64-day practice observed internationally between the anniversaries of the deaths of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This year, I'm choosing to enter this season through a personal daily practice: folding paper, paying attention, and spending a few minutes each day with one of the values connected to nonviolence.

This isn’t a teaching series or a set of instructions. It’s simply a record of practice, what I’m noticing, what I’m trying, what feels possible on a given day.

Origami slows me down. It asks for care, patience, and a willingness to begin again. That feels like a useful place to stand right now.

If this practice offers something to you, a pause, a thought, a moment of steadiness, you’re welcome to take what you find useful and leave the rest. 

Click the links below if you'd like to explore this more deeply in your own way.

Specifically, I’ll be following the Season for Nonviolence values as outlined by the Gandhi Foundation, alongside reflection prompts developed by the Gandhi Institute. 

Mostly, though, I’ll just be folding one day at a time.

a soft vanitas

This pin is inspired by the Vanitas tradition: still life paintings featuring wilting flowers, fruit with bruises, flies feasting, snuffed candles, skulls and other symbols of impermanence - a reminder that nothing lasts forever.

The term comes from the Bible and emphasises that the pursuit of worldly possessions is futile compared the goal of heavenly salvation. It encourages the audience to reflect and repent.

I hope this fly pin makes a softer statement - Less warning, more witness. 

As origami ages, creases soften and colors fade. 

I could seal my works with some kind of resin or shellac but I don't - not to neglect preservation, but as a practice of appreciation and attention. 

In my mind, sealing paper feels false. I would rather let it age with me. I know what will remain is not the object, but a memory and the invitation to fold again. 

It's like affirming: 

• I won't poison myself and the planet to preserve beauty
• I won't harden something meant to stay pliable
• I won't pretend permanence is the goal

Unlike an oil painting, this pin doesn't aspire to a museum. It aspires to be brought to life on a jacket or a bag, touched by sunlight and hands and one day, become compost, fertile material for growth.

It is an art, this presence and release. As you can see from the irony of my archived photos and words, it's one I'm still practicing.

i think the world of you

This little box and lid are made from a reclaimed atlas - paper that carries a story, maybe a dream or a journey and some gentle wear and tear. 

Old books, maps and discarded pages invite us to create art thoughtfully with the well-being of the earth and it's inhabitants in mind, remembering that art paper doesn't have to be new to be beautiful.

I love to work with reclaimed and upcycled papers because:

• They reduce waste and extend the life of well-loved materials
• Each finished origami model is one-of-a-kind, with it's own history and texture
• Making with care feels aligned with my values of mindfulness and stewardship
• Imperfection becomes part of the design, not something to hide

You can try folding your own rectangular box by following this short video on YouTube.

library session, origami folding resources and references

This post accompanies a live origami "Paper to Pin" folding session offered at the Strathcona County Library.

During the session, folds are taught live and by demonstration. It is an analogue, embodied, traditional knowledge experience supported by the web, not replaced by it.

The links below are provided as optional references for participants who would like to revisit the forms later.

They point to external resources with diagrams or guides that are free to view and good for beginners.

Patterns explored today:

* Simple Origami Cup at Origami Club

* Heart Pendant at Origami Club

* Tanzaku (traditional, unpublished)

* Mini Zine at Migra Whistle

Note: 

*Many variations of these origami models exist; these links are offered as starting points rather than definitive instructions. 

* You are welcome to bookmark or explore these pages on your own time if you want to practice a fold again or make more origami models at home.

Origami Pattern References

This link leads to diagrams and folding guides for simple paper forms like hearts, cups, and more:

Origami Club — Diagram Library 

Origami Club is an index of a large collection of origami diagrams, folding animations and videos that you can explore by category and by western and Japanese seasonal holidays (animals, objects, basic shapes, Valentine's Day, Star Festival etc. ).

Zine Folding Instructions

Migra Whistle

Fold a single sheet of paper into an 8-page mini-zine using this beginner friendly guide.

This page includes downloadable zine folding diagrams and printable files that show how to fold and assemble simple zines. 

The downloadable files on this site include a Zine Folding: How To document you can use as a reference for folding a mini zine from a single sheet of paper.

welcome: origami, mindfulness and community

Welcome and thank you for being here

This blog, One Love Origami, is a quiet archive of my long relationship with paper - folding, teaching, experimenting, and exploring origami as both a creative practice and a mindful one.

You’ll find photographs of past work, reflections on process, and examples of how simple materials - paper, time and attention, can become tools for learning, connection, and care.

About the work

My approach to origami is not about perfection or complexity. 

It is about:

* presence over performance

* curiosity over mastery

* process over product

I am especially interested in how origami can support:

* community learning spaces such as libraries and classrooms

* inter-generational creativity

* mindfulness, emotional regulation, and gentle focus

* storytelling through making

Much of the work shared here has been created for workshops, public programs, quiet personal practice, or collaborative community settings. It has been shared in libraries, classrooms, and community spaces as a way to invite mindful making and shared creativity.

About this blog

This blog functions as an archive and visual reference rather than a frequently updated journal. 

Some posts are recent; others reach back many years. Together, they reflect an evolving practice rooted in care, slowness, and accessibility.

You might enjoy browsing posts by image, or starting with earlier entries to see how ideas and forms evolve over time.

If you are here following a library presentation or community event, you are warmly invited to browse at your own pace. There is no particular order — follow images, titles, or your curiosity.

Using this work

Unless otherwise noted, images and ideas here are shared for inspiration and educational purposes. 

If you are a librarian, educator, or program coordinator interested in adapting similar activities for your own space, please feel welcome to do so with credit.

If you would like to discuss workshops, talks, or collaborative programs, this blog offers a sense of the tone and approach I bring to those spaces.

A gentle invitation

Origami asks very little of us:

one square of paper,

two hands,

and a willingness to begin imperfectly.

May you find something here that encourages curiosity, calm, or quiet joy.

- Tara

fascinating orange roses

In the language of flowers, the color orange symbolizes enthusiasm, desire and fascination.

These pretty framed flowers and leaves are designed by Nana Takahashi aka Nanahoshi, and folded and styled by me.

I am definitely fascinated by the elegant folding sequence of these roses, in idle moments my fingers start folding them all by themselves!

Full disclosure - Chat GPT helped me with this "product photo". In real life, the frame is flatter but the roses really are that dimensional and pretty!

no-face, spirited away

Do you have a favorite Studio Ghibli movie?  

I have several, and Spirited Away is definitely in my top 5. 

This No Face model was really fun to fold.  

I don't usually like having to draw on a face because I always "ruin it" but this one was actually really easy.

And turning it into a pin was a no brainer. This guy deserves to be seen!