Grief is an Origami Swan: Gentle Coping Through Origami and Tender Rituals

Grief Is an Origami Swan is a poetic, illustrated art book and grief guide by artist and writer Michèle Saint-Michel. With tenderness and ritual, it creates a gentle space for anyone navigating loss.

Deep Reading: The 5 Stages of Grief: A Gentle Reconsideration

Free Grief Resources for Teachers, Therapists, and Community Groups

Download these free printable tools to support conversations about grief in classrooms, workshops, and circles of care.

Inside the Book: Grief, Art, and the Origami Swan

Each page of Grief is an Origami Swan is a meditation on longing, memory, and healing through the gesture of the fold. It is at once a book and a companion.

Using black-and-white nature illustrations paired with pressed flowers and grasses, artist Michèle Saint-Michel takes you by the hand and leads you down the path toward healing. Step-by-step instructions assist even those unfamiliar with origami to fold a paper swan. Using poetic language and Japanese design aesthetics, Saint-Michel builds a robust world where escape is possible: a world of magical, flightless birds, where grief and loss can be embodied and explored. Give this book as a thoughtful, quiet gift to someone you care about in mourning or to yourself.

Begin to unfold your grief and remember those lost using the art form of origami. Learn to fold an origami swan using square, origami paper, and befriend the often confusing and sometimes unsettling feelings experienced during bereavement and after loss. With each origami swan that takes shape, meditate, grieve, and honor their memory. Learn that grief has no timeline and carries no expiration. Feelings, as confusing as they may be, are a valid and necessary part of the healing journey. Begin that journey today with this beautifully realized book. 

Deep Reading: A Glimpse into the Grieving Hearts of Swans

Fold an origami swan, embrace the complex emotions of grief, and discover the transformative power of this beautifully crafted book.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Grief is an Origami Swan about?

Grief is an Origami Swan is an illustrated grief book and gentle art guide created by curator, artist filmmaker, and poet Michèle Saint-Michel. It invites readers to explore grief as an open-ended process with no fixed timeline. Through origami rituals, black-and-white nature illustrations, poetic language, and reflective writing, the book offers a soft and creative space for mourning.

The origami swan becomes a tactile practice of remembrance—an invitation to begin where words fall short.

Who is Michèle Saint-Michel?

Michèle Saint-Michel is a curator, artist filmmaker, and poet based in New York City. She works around issues of power, feminist ecologies, and somatic memory. Her work often addresses grief, longing, loss, and desire—foregrounding softness and care as forms of resistance.

Grief is an Origami Swan is her most widely beloved book, reflecting her personal experiences of loss and her ongoing work in somatic and community-based healing.

Why origami swans?

Michèle began folding swans after the loss of her father to a long illness and the passing of her best friend to Metastatic Cancer. The ritual of folding became a daily act of care—a way to hold space for the complex emotions surrounding grief.

In the book, the swan functions as a meditative practice, a mourning ritual, and a symbol of transformation. With each fold, readers are invited to grieve, reflect, and honor memory through touch and movement.

Deep Reading: A Glimpse into the Grieving Hearts of Swans

Does grief have a timeline?

No. Grief is an Origami Swan affirms that grief has no set schedule or endpoint. Healing is deeply personal and nonlinear.

While the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) are still widely referenced, many grief educators now consider this framework outdated. Grief doesn’t follow a predictable path—and it’s not something to “complete.” Instead, grief ebbs and flows, often returning in waves years after a loss.

This book invites you to meet your grief with patience and compassion. Whether your loss is recent or decades old, whether your feelings make sense or defy explanation, your grief is real—and worthy of care.

How does art help in grieving?

Art offers a way to express emotions that may feel too complex or painful to articulate. Visual art, poetry, and ritual can all serve as therapeutic tools—creating space for feelings that don’t always have words.

This book encourages people to engage with grief creatively: not to move past it, but to move with it. Each swan folded, each word read, becomes part of a healing practice.

Can I use this book in classrooms, therapy, or grief support spaces?

Yes. Grief is an Origami Swan includes free downloadable resources—a grief lesson plan and printable swan ritual sheet—that make it suitable for use in educational, therapeutic, and community settings. It has been shared by educators, grief counselors, artists, and caregivers looking for soft, accessible tools to discuss loss and create remembrance rituals together.

What age group is this grief book intended for?

This book is most appropriate for teens and adults. The language is poetic yet clear, and the themes are handled with care. Many educators have shared it with high school and college students, as well as with adult learners and community groups. The swan is a particularly accessible fold, but may require an extra hand.

Can I use this grief book in a classroom or therapeutic setting?

Yes. Educators, therapists, grief counselors, and caregivers have used this book with teens and adults alike. A free printable grief lesson plan is available on this page, along with large-format origami swan instructions for classroom or workshop use.

Whether you're working with high school students, caregivers, or trauma survivors, this book opens up gentle, meaningful conversations about grief and healing. It provides a soft, accessible tool to help navigate loss and create remembrance rituals, making it a valuable resource for any space focused on healing.

How can I support this grief project or share it with others?

You can support this project by purchasing a copy for yourself or as a gift. For every 20 books sold, one is donated to a public library in honor of someone grieving in silence.

You can also share this page, link to it on social media, or donate directly to help Michèle continue offering free grief resources to those in need.

Free Downloadable Resources

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