Coronado Graphic Design

Good Grief is an evolving creative and academic project that explores how we live with grief—not simply how we “get over” it. Developed by artist, writer, and SDSU graduate student Natasha Archer, the project brings together philosophy, visual art, comics, storytelling, movement, and everyday practices. It begins with the belief that grief is not limited to death. We grieve people, animals, relationships, identities, opportunities, places, and earlier versions of ourselves. Grief is part of being human, but it does not have to be the end of the story.
 

At the heart of Good Grief is Blondie Yaya, a curious Goldfish Girl who discovers that she is, in fact, a goldfish. Through her adventures, questions, and wonderfully imperfect attempts to understand the world, she represents curiosity, ADHD, resilience, and the experience of finding meaning within chaos. Her story reminds us that we do not need to have everything figured out before we begin again. Sometimes we simply keep swimming, follow what catches our attention, and connect the dots as we go.
 

Good Grief also turns philosophy into something we can practice in daily life. It explores accessible tools such as journaling, artmaking, yoga and movement, meditation, gratitude, affirmations, community connection, and an intentional “Every Day Carry” system. These small rituals cannot erase loss, but they can help us carry it—giving our emotions somewhere to go and helping us reconnect with our bodies, our creativity, and one another.
 

Rooted in Natasha’s interdisciplinary studies in SDSU’s Master of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences program, Good Grief is both deeply personal and continually growing. It may become a philosophy, comic series, graphic novel, collection of artwork, wellness practice, and community-centered creative movement. For now, it remains what grief itself often is: a real-time work in progress—an invitation to stay curious, make something meaningful, and discover what can grow alongside loss.