I started folding paper around the age of five. For me, the process of following folding instructions was instantly fun and engaging: like a mystery, trying to reproduce what I saw in the pictures to solve an enigmatic puzzle. I found my first real origami book around the age of seven, and soon began to see the world of origami as both magical and complex.
Folding on my own was difficult. Neither of my parents folded, so I would often spend hours by myself on a single diagram, trying to make sense of the paper. Too often would I get disheartened with no one to share in my frustrations. I yearned to spend time with other folders, to ask them questions and observe their techniques. That is when I found OrigamiUSA.
For me, OrigamiUSA has been a constant source of community and inspiration. In 1998, I attended my first OrigamiUSA convention in New York City at age eleven. There I found an origami community that was at once open and welcoming! It was a place where I could talk to all the origami designers I knew from books, while learning new models directly from the masters.
Origami is a social art. It is fundamentally about community and sharing. I hope that The Fold can become a forum for OrigamiUSA members to share their works and experiences with the greater origami community. As an online magazine, The Fold is not restricted by page limits or a rigid printing schedule. Content can be thorough, delivered to members as soon as it is ready.
The origami world is a diverse place, and not every member wants the same thing from an organization like OrigamiUSA. I hope The Fold will be able to speak to the larger OrigamiUSA membership by maintaining a healthy diversity of content. In The Fold, not every article will be perfect for every member, but perhaps all members will be able to find some content that speaks to them.
This magazine is for members, by members. The Fold can only be as good as the contributions we receive from the OrigamiUSA community. Hopefully through The Fold, we can give a little back to the organization that has given us so much, while sharing with all our common love of origami.
Jason Ku
The Fold, Managing Editor
November 11th, 2010