day 26 - respect

"I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university." 

- Albert Einstein

Respect isn't about status. It shows up in how I handle and protect things, people, and ideas.

In origami, respect begins long before the first fold.

It is present in how the paper is chosen, how it is handled, and whether its qualities are allowed to guide the making. Some papers ask for bold transformation or intricate details. Others ask for simplicity.

This hexagon letter fold is made from a sheet of grassy, textured handmade A4 paper that waited quietly in my collection for decades. Nothing terribly precious - but certainly beautiful enough to deserve the right moment.

Now it serves by holding something meaningful: words of encouragement, and enough good loose tea for a shared pot.

The hexagonal form, known in Japan as Kikkō (tortoiseshell), symbolizes protection, stability, and longevity. Its strength comes not from force, but from balanced structure.

Good folding practice reminds me that respect, too, is a form of attention - to the unique needs of a person, a situation, or the material at hand.

Today I practice respect by handling words carefully and honoring boundaries — in paper, in people, and in myself, choosing care over force wherever I can.

day 8 - healing

"Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity." - Hippocrates

Healing isn't something I can force. It seems to happen when there is enough space, safety and support for things to settle. 

This layered pin speaks to me of a history. It reminds me that healing doesn't hide the scars or the story, more often it is a matter of incremental integration. 

Today I'm practicing healing by seeing it as the bridge between harm and hope, rupture and repair. I recognize that it takes time and is still tender in me, but is growing stronger. 

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.