Vancouver host
Mark Busse
@MarkBusse
Joseph Wu speaks about what it’s like to struggle with focus, described his relationship with paper, and how creativity has helped him cope.
January 4, 2013 was the first month of unified themes at CreativeMornings with over 5,000 attendees on six continents gathering to hear speakers address the topic of “Happiness”. CreativeMornings/Vancouver was proud to host origami master Joseph Wu.
During his talk Joseph spoke candidly about being diagnosed with ADHD and the challenges that brought, including bouts of depression. He talked about what it’s like to struggle with focus, described his relationship with paper, and how creativity has helped him cope. And he showed off some of his truly beautiful origami art.
A few notable comments by Joseph: On ADHD and depression: “I thought the diagnosis meant things were going to get better.“ On origami: "I am drawn to origami because there isn’t another art form that gets as close to creating something out of nothing.” On perfectionism: “Folding paper, aligning paper, does it really bring happiness? Yeah, I think it does.”
About the speaker
Like many people, Joseph Wu encountered origami as a child, folding paper since the age of three. Unlike most people, he continued practising his craft, and began creating original designs at the age of eleven. Joseph continues to be an active participant in the international origami community. He has been invited to attend conferences, teach classes, give lectures, and exhibit works in many parts of the world. In May, he was invited as the special guest at both the German and French origami conventions. He also co-administers the email discussion group on origami, facilitating communication between enthusiasts from over 35 countries.
Favorite quotes from this talk See all
“Creation out of nothing. I often say that origami is as close as you can get to that. It's a piece of paper. Beyond that, you don't need anything else. — Joseph Wu
added by
Carly Ayres
“I view creativity as the ability to take existing ideas, to merge them together in a new way. — Joseph Wu
added by
Carly Ayres
“Knowing what the problem is doesn't mean that you know how to solve the problem. — Joseph Wu
added by
Carly Ayres
“Origami fed my need to understand things, to solve problems, and to be creative all at the same time. — Joseph Wu
added by
Carly Ayres
“Folding paper, aligning paper-does it really bring happiness? I think it does. — Joseph Wu
added by
Carly Ayres
