By training, I’m a scientist. I taught high school biology and chemistry for 18 years before retiring. Until my retirement, my main creative energies were centered around lesson planning and designing a peaceful garden landscape around my home. Now, I’m in a different phase of my life and starting to explore new aspects of my personality, and to devote myself to causes and activities beyond making a living.
As a two-time breast cancer survivor, I’ve learned new lessons about the preciousness of life. Every day brings new blessings, new joys. I want to live every day to its fullest. That isn’t just a slogan; it’s the way I live.
One of the activities that gives me great enjoyment is the ancient art of origami. Beautiful and precise paper folds require a serene state of mind. Each fold is an exercise in patient concentration. Each crease is a fresh opportunity to do something well. From that calm state, beautiful figures emerge from the paper. The results are very different if the folding is done with anger, impatience, distractions, or fatigue.
Therefore, the paper folding is a form of meditation, relaxation, and mental exercise which shuts out the other cares of the world and trains the mind.
I especially enjoy making long mobiles of origami cranes, often called ‘Peace Cranes’. The crane has many symbolic meanings, including peace, long life, faithfulness, and happiness. As time goes by, I continue to add new items to my portfolio. It’s a craft that a person can continue to improve for a lifetime.
I chose the name ‘Canyonwren’ because that is the name of a tiny but tough little bird that lives in the western United States, with the sweetest, most haunting call I have ever heard. My husband Bill and I spend part of our time in southeastern Utah, where one can hear the call of the wren reverberate through deep canyons.
Thank you to all of you who are supporting my craft and sharing your own stories with me. If any of you would like to try origami yourself, bookstores and public libraries have many helpful books that will lead you through the beginning steps. Another way to learn is by watching origami videos on the internet. They’re widely available with a little searching. Origami is a wonderful craft for children, as it teaches them to focus on a quiet skill.
Feel free to email me at canyonwrencrafts@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
Thanks!
Penny Schiller
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