What do you have if you don't have hope?
If you have read the story Sadako and the Thousand Cranes, you'll know that if you fold 1000 paper cranes, you'll get one wish.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the story, it's about a girl named Sadako who lived in Japan and was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. She didn't want to die and one day her friends told her about the folklore of the thousand cranes. The premise of the story is that if you fold 1000 paper cranes, you will be granted one wish. Sadako believed this story wholeheartedly and wanted desperately to live, so she started folding paper cranes. Her determination encouraged others around her to fold paper cranes as well.
Sadako didn't make it to 1000 paper cranes, but in her death, her friends and family helped her reach 1000 paper cranes.
I always found this story inspiring. A girl who wanted so desperately to live that she would do whatever it took to have her wish granted. It felt like a sliver of hope she was holding onto despite fighting a battle that she could never win.
Whenever I'm in times of desperation, I start folding paper cranes. Not because I believe in the 1000 crane folklore, but because I want to hold onto hope. Although, I wouldn't mind getting a wish once I hit 1000 paper cranes.
The paper crane shirt features a flying crane facing an origami heart. I chose not to use the logo heart because I wanted the heart to stay in theme with the rest of the shirt. The paper crane is supposed to symbolize hope. I incorporated the heart to depict the hope in what the heart desires.
I enjoy the overall minimalism of the shirt while still maintaining a story. I think that the idea of holding onto hope and what the heart wants will resonate with some people. In situations that feel impossible, like drowning in a sea of responsibility, or pushing a boulder up a never ending mountain, hope is all you have. So even if the crane or the heart doesn't resonate with you, I hope the message behind the shirt does. Keep your head up, and keep moving forward, because the world doesn't stop going just because you're stuck.
Check out the shirts that were inspired by this story!