Episode 124: Megumi Inouye
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Megumi Inouye is a gift wrapping and packaging artist. Known for her sustainable wrapping designs and creative innovations, she encourages repurposing, utilizing everyday things around us and using organic and recyclable items. She attributes her passion for gift wrapping to her Japanese heritage and the cultural values that underlie the meaning behind the art of giving. Her new book, The Soul of Giftwrapping, features creative techniques for expressing gratitude, both literally and figuratively. Enjoy our conversation!
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We talked about gratitude, wrapping gifts, and her new book: The Soul of Giftwrapping.
The book is filled with stories about gratitude and features a selection of fun and unique ways to wrap gifts with paper (and other materials). This pleated paper design requires no tape!
The Gratitude Bow was inspired by the pointed leaves of a poinsettia plant. Throughout the book, you are encouraged to repurpose and upcyle paper materials. The dark brown bow below is made from the handles of a grocery bag.
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Megumi Inouye’s recommendations:
- Check out the paper materials at your local reuse center (Scrap SF, Scrap PDX Portland, Art from Scrap Santa Barbara, Reverse Garbage near Sydney Australia)
- This Scotch Paper Cutter
- How to Wrap Five Eggs by Hideyuki Oka
- Tsutsumu: The Japanese Package by Hideyuki Oka
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Visit Megumi Inouye’s website to learn more about her work, and you can find her on Instagram too.
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Music featuring excerpts of Makin’ Paper folk song by Peter Thomas. Listen to the full song and find out about other paper and book arts folk songs.
Gary A. Hanson did the sound editing for this episode. He practices and refines his skills in audio production while making his own podcast I’ll Have a Beer and Talk, a show about tech news, culture, weird animal stories and of course, beer. Gary is also the Deckle in Pulp & Deckle, a Portland-based community hand papermaking studio.
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