When my dearest friend and mentor, Renee, (who I wrote about here) passed away this fall, her last gift to me was a box full of vintage post cards. In times when the world feels overwhelming as though none of us could make a dent in the issues we face, I often think of Renee asking confident and firm, “well what will you do about it?”. This, paired with the ethos of my great grandmother- “do what you can, with what you have, where you are” spawned the idea of the snail mail exchange.
The energy below Dear Someone: A Snail Mail Collective is, as mentioned in my last post, all about creativity and connection, both of which are my first reach when I feel untethered. The energy below this experiment is an idea supported by the world’s longest scientific study of happiness by Robert Waldinger, MD, and Marc Schulz, PhD. The findings of this study reveal that the strength of a person’s connections with others can predict the health of both their body and their brain as they go through life. Stronger connections = stronger health.
My observation in addition to this data is that connecting with others unlike yourself - from different regions of the country and world, varying socioeconomic backgrounds, expansive gender & sexuality, different ages, race, culture, abilities, interests, experiences, stories, (and on and on) help our connection to the broader world. What I mean to say is, connection, in all its forms, is powerful.
I’m fortunate and privileged that my personal experiences have led me around the country and world to solidify these connections across space and time. What at face value is a small craft and a smattering of words, in my mind, is abundant access to mental wellness, emotional wellness, and profound connection.
I made the decision to make this experiment for paid subscribers only because much like a solo dance party, chalk on the sidewalk, or bubbles (the big 3 of the joy factories), the access to entry is fairly low effort and low cost to do it on your own! I do not gatekeep, so I encourage you to begin a practice on your own or get a group together to make and send postcards should this pique your interest. If you would like to get involved with me specifically, here’s the skinny:
Dear Someone: A Snail Mail Collective
I will give each participating subscribing member a partner to be one another’s Dear Someone. Each participant will receive the name and address of their partner via email. (Your addresses will remain protected content with me and only shared with your partner, I respect your privacy)
In sharing Renee’s generosity of her last gift- a box of vintage post cards- each participating member will get 1 blank vintage postcard.
Additionally I will ship…
1 vintage postcard with writing- to inspire your own story with a little piece of history and perfect cursive handwriting.
2 blank postcards
3 USPS forever stamps
Become a paid subscriber for access to the rest of the details. For access to the details of Dear Someone: A Snail Mail Collective, become a paid subscriber.
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