Folds of the mind: Origami is the new colouring in
The storming success of colouring-in books for adults, promising tranquillity and peace of mind as you colour, was the unexpected publishing triumph of 2015. Five of the 12 best-selling books on Amazon last year were colouring-in books. But that was last year. Shoppers are fickle and easily bored. Canny publishers are already looking to the next trend. So forget felt-tips: 2016 is the year of the fold. Colouring in is out; origami is in. But can folding really bestow mindful calm?Origami can be meditative, according to Nick Robinson, an origami expert who has published 60 books on the subject. "The world fades away and you just focus on your fingers and the paper," he says. Part of origami's appeal is its curious combination of creativity and rules. Although you may not be very artistic, by following the rules you create something beautiful and following the rules step-by-step is very calming.Origami is undoubtedly more challenging than colouring in. Origami "masters" practise for decades. The most intricate folding instructions for models of praying mantises and armadillos are devised by mathematicians and can involve many hundreds of folds and creases. ..
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