Once in a while, you try out something new just for fun, and when you look back you realize it was what you wanted to do all along. This is what I discovered after tabling and conducting a workshop at the Manila Mini Maker Faire.

At the time, I was a fresh graduate and was feeling uncertain about the path I wanted to take. I had been exploring Paper Engineering as a hobby, and even entered my first work, Popfolio, into an international competition.

One day, the chance to conduct a workshop at the Manila Mini Maker Faire came and I grabbed it. The Faire was a haven for the curious and innovative. There was a little bit of everything, from cutting-edge technology to beautiful handcrafted creations. It was so inspiring to be surrounded by a community showcase of hobbies, experiments, and projects.

At the Faire, I had the wonderful opportunity to showcase my own work alongside the incredible works of my students from a previous workshop. And in the afternoon, I conducted a workshop for all ages where we made simple pop-up cards with basic techniques. I had a great time sharing my passion for paper engineering with others!

It’s events like these that I look back on and realize they were stepping stones to where I am today. Being open to new experiences is taking a small step toward where you’re meant to be. So be open to these kinds of opportunities—you never know where they might lead!