Postcrossing

We're really excited to share today's blog post with you--read on and prepare to catch the Postcrossing bug! Over the past 4 years of hosting the Write_On Campaign we've made so many interesting connections with other passionate letter-writers and letter-writing groups around the world. One of these is Postcrossing, an international postcard exchange program, which at over 41 million postcards sent is hardly a niche community. We had so much fun teaming up with them on a giveaway last year and this year we wanted to share more about this amazing community and resource with Write_On participants. Thank you to Ana Campos, the Postcrossing community manager, who has graciously agreed to share more about Postcrossing with us.

And thank you also to Alexey of @posting2you for sharing the wonderful photos for this post. You can follow Alexey's Postcrossing adventures on Instagram. So far he has posted from 64 countries including North Korea, Cuba, Australia, Sri Lanka, and most recently Turkmenistan (!!). He tries to post a card from every country that he visits and shares with us a fantastic tour of beautiful postal boxes around the world along with interesting trivia about each country's postal systems.

How did Postcrossing get started?

Postcrossing was started by Paulo Magalhães, in the summer of 2005. Back then, Paulo was an IT student doing his internship with a tech company in Portugal, and on his free time, he started to play with the idea of Postcrossing. He loved receiving mail, and especially postcards, but there's only so many postcards you can send to your own friends and expect to get something back... so he wondered whether there were perhaps other people out there who, like him, enjoyed sending and receiving postcards but had no one to connect with. Little by little, he shaped and coded this idea into an online platform where people from everywhere could connect with the goal of exchanging postcards. He invited a few friends to join, and they invited a few friends, who invited a few friends... and 44 million postcards later, here we are! :)
 

“I’m #posting2you from Vienna, #Austria! What a place to feel the excitement of coming Christmas! ”

Half of the over 44 million postcards sent have come from Germany, The Netherlands, Finland, Russia, and the USA. Any theories about why Postcrossing is so popular in certain countries?

There are different reasons for why Postcrossing is more popular in some countries than others and it's often a combination of different factors. In some of them, it might be just because they're huge countries (Russia, USA), while in others it probably comes from a deeply ingrained letter-writing culture (Finland) and in others still, the postal service understands the value of Postcrossing and works with us to promote it (Germany, Netherlands).

The popular countries do change over time though, as word spreads in waves — a long time ago, every second card seemed to come from either Portugal or Brazil for instance, and that is not the case now.

“Sri Lanka is the only nation that writes the country’s name ON ITS STAMPS in three different languages - Sinhalese, Tamil and English. ”

Penpals are often considered a childhood activity. Do many kids use Postcrossing?

There are lots of schools and children on Postcrossing — and we think that's amazing! Postcards are small and informal enough that writing one isn't as daunting for a child as writing a whole letter could be, and sometimes there's even space for them to use their creative skills. Receiving a postcard offers a number of learning opportunities as well — from the postcard image to the message or even the stamp themes. Many teachers use the postcards they send and receive to encourage their classes to practice their English skills or to discover more about other places. It's one thing to read about the pyramids in a geography book... but it's much nicer to receive a real postcard from Egypt, from someone who is there and can tell you about them first-hand, right?

The project is just as popular with grandmas though — and everyone in between! :) We make sure Postcrossing is a welcoming community to people of all countries and ages, regardless of their religious, political or cultural backgrounds.
 

“China. It is really hard to find a person who can speak English in China. Same with the local post - to send a postcard from a Chinese post office to another country without knowledge of Chinese or an interpreter - mission impossible! ”

Any tips on what should you write to a complete stranger?

Anything that is on your mind, or that you find interesting because odds are, your recipient will find it interesting as well! Most towns have something that makes them unique or special: a discovery that happened there, an important person who lived nearby, or maybe even a unique confectionery that everyone should try!

I personally enjoy receiving a glimpse of what a day looks like for someone who is on the other side of the world... what did they have for lunch today? What are they studying right now? What was one nice or surprising thing that happened to them today?

“#posting2you from Mother #Russia ”

Do many first postcards lead to a lasting correspondence?

Yup! People often discover that "strangers" across the world have a lot more in common with them than they expected... and after a first conversation via postcard, they end up exchanging more postcards or even emails and letters. Some eventually meet and become friends in "real life". We've told a few of these stories here: https://www.postcrossing.com/blog/tag/friendship
 

“The Andorra postal service is provided by both Spanish and French authorities. The card that I sent to my mother with the French post arrived one month earlier then the card that I sent in the same day to my dad (same address) with the Spanish post. ”

Any advice for keeping a letter-writing practice going?

Just do it! As they say, "you need to send a letter to get a letter". To me, just the act of settling down with my stationery to send someone a surprise is as rewarding as receiving something in the mail. The fact that I know I'm about to make someone happy brings me immense joy!
 

“#posting2you from #Estonia! Sent through a retro Soviet era #postbox. How many of them are preserved in ex-Soviet republics?

I was happy to visit a lovely Postal museum in Estonia in the city of Tartu. ”

What's your most memorable Postcrossing story?

There are just so many to choose from! From marriages to community-organised meetups in unusual places (such as on desert islands or trains!), dozens of friendship stories, stamps issued to honour the project, collaborations with schools, libraries and museums...

One collaboration we are especially proud of happened with a school in Tuvalu, one of the smallest nations in the world. The teachers and students there wanted to mark Earth Day by bringing the world's attention to the plight of their country, which, due to climate change is at risk of soon being "swallowed" by the rising sea levels. We've helped them register on Postcrossing, and over several years they've sent 811 postcards from their tiny island to the whole world! And of course, they also received the same amount of postcards, and the children were ecstatic to see the world through all the cards they've received. Tuvalu is one of the most remote places in the world (halfway between Hawaii and Australia), so giving those children a chance to see what is out there outside of their tiny island was very rewarding. You can read more about it here: https://www.postcrossing.com/blog/tag/tuvalu

“Ashgabat is a city that is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most white-marble city in the world. In an impressive architectural re-styling effort led by the government of Turkmenistan, an area measuring 22 km² (8.49 mi²) in the capital Ashgabat boasts 543 new buildings clad with 4,513,584 m² (48,583,619 ft²) of white marble. This looks so impressive that to avoid anything that can distract visitor’s attention, there are no commercial advertisements in the city or other things that spoil the impression from the city. The government decided to remove all green postboxes from the noble marble buildings. So, if you want to send a postcard, you need to pass it directly to the lady who is working in the post office.

Once becoming independent in 1991, Turkmenistan self-isolated from the world and had no influence from globalization. Local girls are not wearing jeans, but still wear the beautiful national dress. The girl in the photo here wears the official Turkmen Post uniform. ”

Conquer The (Tiny) Blank Page

We asked Devin Redmond of Leafcutter Designs to give us a few tips on tackling text, no matter the size of your canvas! Read on for big time inspiration! 

It’s easy to think of creativity as an expansive free flowing exercise of raw imagination. It’s sometimes described as a spring inside you, from which ideas simply bubble forth and demand to be released into the world. Every once in a while, I’ll sit down to write a letter and the pen just seems to have a mind of its own. I already know what I want to say, and the right words keep stepping up at just the right moment. I love it when this happens!

But more often than not, the blank page engages me in a quiet staring contest. Its pure white expanse simply affords too many options. In these moments, I benefit from the imposition of creative constraints.

Sometimes its a writing prompt, like one from our Letters To My series, that gets me started. Other times, I’ll turn to our World’s Smallest Post Service Kit and pull out a sheet of tiny writing paper and the included .005 Micron pen. Knowing I have only limited space to craft an entire letter forces me to boil my message down to its stripped away core. Word choice becomes essential; introductions and explanations fatal. Say only what you mean, and nothing else!

Ernest Hemingway intuitively knew about the focusing power of constraints when he famously challenged himself to write a novel in only six words. David Bowie knew this too, when he brought a set of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies into the recording studio. Take away the 140 character constraint, and Twitter is just another run-of-the-mill online publisher. Without limits and boundaries, even our most creative minds can easily get lost in the wilderness.

While there will always be an essential role for long form writing, keeping it short is an art form all its own. It takes practice to master. To paraphrase Pascal's 360-year-old witticism (or more recently Mark Twain, according to urban legend), “I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn’t have enough time."

If you want to play with length as a creative constraint in your own letter writing, or just love the sight of these mini-missives and tiny packages, go for it! Here are three ways you can use the World’s Smallest Post Service Kit to spread joy and surprise to friends and family.

1. Challenge yourself to write a six-word letter/poem to each of your closest friends. Six words only. No more, no less. See if they reply with brevity or long-windedness. This idea is inspired by Hemingway, SMITH Magazine’s Six-Word Memoirs project, and the emerging flash fiction genre.
    
2. Plan a tiny-themed party and send everyone tiny invitations. Make miniature bags of popcorn and serve tea a sip at a time. We did this at the Leafcutter studio not too long ago!
    
3. Resolve to give small gifts of wit and ingenuity, instead of material goods, for your friends’ birthdays this year. Find a small inexpensive object, like a square of chocolate or a toy compass. Think up a sweet or sassy message, like “There’s nothing semi about you and me,” or “Wherever you go, I’m sure to follow." Wrap it up in an exquisitely detailed tiny package!

What are your favorite creative constraints when it comes to letter writing?

Sneak Peek: Happy Mail

Post by Hello!Lucky

Don't let your stationery budget stop you from completing the Write_On challenge. Get creative with DIY cards & envelopes! Nothing makes us happier than creating a fun, fabulous card to send. 

Take your own spin off this project and share it with #write_on! We'd love to see what you come up with. 

Variations to try: Thanks!!!!  Sorry!!!  Yaaas!!!!  Oops!!!!  Wow!!!!

Materials:

• 8.5” x 11” sheet of white cardstock (we recommend multimedia or hot press watercolor paper - a paper suitable for watercolor)
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Watercolor paints
• Container for water
• Brush
• Black crayon
• Ruler
• Craft knife
• Cutting mat or magazine
• A7 white envelope

Card:

1. Make your card!  Fold a piece of cardstock in half and using a craft knife, ruler and cutting mat or magazine, cut the card down to 5” x 7”, folded.

2. Using a pencil, draw the word YAY very lightly across the top half of the card. Pro tip:  If you are feeling uncertain about your hand-lettering skills, type up your message, using a font you like, to fit in a 5” x 7” space and print it out.  Place the type on a window with the front of the card over it and trace the letters onto your card.

3. With a brush and watercolor paints, paint each letter.  Let dry completely.

4. Using a black crayon, add smiley faces and exclamation points.

Envelope:

1. Draw a grid pattern on the inside of the envelope with a black crayon cutting off the pattern along the glue line of the envelope to create the illusion of an envelope liner.

Coming out this September, our new book, Happy Mail is full of fun, fabulous projects, featuring hand-lettering and doodles that are super accessible and so Hello!Lucky! 

The book includes bonus cards, self-mailing letters, and stickers at the back that are inspired by the projects. The projects are simple, utilizing craft supplies you already have, and provide step-by-step instructions to let your creativity flow! Whoever is lucky enough to get your mail is going to be over the moon.

If you'd like to see more, the book is now available to preorder at your local bookstore or online here and here. 

Happy letter-writing...and Write_On!

What's On Your Desk

Written correspondence is the physical manifestation of the connection between us and people who matter. Letters, notes, or postcards are tangible objects we tend to return to over and over again — and, if you’re like us, a lot of these letters have established a special place somewhere on your desk.

This week on the blog, Mohawk Paper — they made the paper your Write_On kit is printed on, and are self-proclaimed paper nerds! — asked this question: Why do certain letters stand the test of time? To find out, they asked Sarah Schwartz, editor of Stationery Trends and The Paper Chronicles, to share some of the objects on her desk and why she can’t seem to part with them. Read on to hear from Sarah directly, and gain a glimpse into her paper-rich world.

Mohawk asked me to write a #WhatsOnYourDesk post. My assignment: To examine our continuing allegiance to the cards, letters, envelopes and postcards that dress our desks, even as the death knell for paper is sounded by the pundits that make such claims for the millionth time.

To my mind, Mohawk couldn’t have asked a better person to write this, as my allegiance to paper borders on addiction. Actually, who am I trying to kid, there’s no healthy border here! You see, I started covering the stationery industry 20 years ago, and that’s given me ample time to accumulate a lot of ephemera.

Every piece has a story behind it, and for that reason it’s hard to part with. Further complicating this issue is the fact that there’s a steady stream of paper coming into my office each day.  Just when I have a handle on everything, the postman comes and I have a new bundle of treasures.

This is so steady, in fact, that if I don’t stay on top of it, the papers threaten to ascend to hoarder-like proportions. This is an easy situation to let fester — it will take a lot of time before I risk injury from a towering pile of letters — but I was forced to deal with it a few weeks back, when we started remodeling my home office. I waited until the last minute before moving my iMac up to my temporary working quarters — our dining room table — and then I had to make a lot of snap decisions about the letters, postcards, stationery samples, promotional pieces and business cards populating my desk.

That difficult task completed, and the most precious of the precious safely put away, I was able to face a new day with a mercifully blank slate. This is me we’re talking about, however, so it didn’t start truly blank — that would have been downright depressing.

Sugar Paper sent me one of their dreamy planners over the holidays, and not to digress, but it’s made me a planner person. Their chic chambray model — embossed with my initials in gold on the cover, no less — will sit prominently on my desk all year.

Just as interesting, however, enclosed with the planner was one of their signature gold-foil-edged and letterpressed flat cards. The message reminds me to watch not just my morning attitude, but my attitude whenever my eyes happen to fall upon it.

I’m truly lucky to receive a lot of actual notes, and every one is a glimpse into the sender’s personality and taste. Even for those in the business, it takes a lot of motivation to actually write a note, find my address and mail it, so I appreciate everyone I receive. Over the past few weeks, I’ve received two I’m not ready to put away yet.

The first comes from Kalyn of Effie’s Paper, thanking me for including their fun pin in our inaugural Trend of the Month Club at Stationery Trends. I think of these notes as little ego boosts; just glancing at them mid-crisis gives me confidence to put out fires big and small.  

And there’s a note from LovePop’s Wombi, who I met in January at the Atlanta Gift Show. Even though I saw all their magnificent cards in their booth, when it comes to paper engineering, there is nothing quite like taking one of these intricately crafted creations out of the envelope and seeing it come to life in your own hands (with a great message, no less).

Finally, my desk tends to reflect my daughter’s school curriculum. Unsurprisingly, I also have a lot of trouble getting rid of her papers — to me they represent a special snapshot of time that will pass too quickly. In a few weeks she’s being tested on the US states, so one of her home practice runs has a prominent spot. I know I’m not the only Mom with a sentimental attachment to their child’s handwriting — I can almost hear her voice looking at it.

What is most magical about the papers on my desk — and yes, I said magical — is that they’re always in flux. As soon as I put a letter away to be mounted in an album someday, another equally compelling missive appears. They keep me company and offer me welcome distraction as I labor away — and always remind me of the possibilities and wonder of paper.

#WhatsOnYourDesk: Join along! Share your stories and images about the goodies on your desk using the hashtag.

Post by Mohawk Paper & Sarah Schwartz

Together, We Write

We know that the act of writing letters helps us develop a better understanding of ourselves, which is a nice side effect of connecting with others. This year, we wanted to dig deeper still and see what we might learn by taking what is often considered a solitary act into a more public arena. Our launch events in Portland and San Francisco proved that there is indeed magic and power in the act of writing together. 

Write_On + Schoolhouse Electric

Portlanders kicked off the Write_On Challenge in partnership with Schoolhouse Electric once again this year in their beautiful showroom. The energy was nothing short of magnetic.  This sold-out event attracted letter-writing enthusiasts of all ages, who convened at the table, on the floor, and on couches  — all in the name of letters! 

As guests gathered for a meaningful evening of putting pen to paper, they fortified themselves with wine from Union Wine Co., brews from Occidental Brewing, delicious bites by Artemis Foods and candy magic from Quin.  In honor of all things analog, DJ Aquaman provided the perfect vinyl soundtrack to the evening. Guests were invited to participate in a new activity this year by writing a "Letter to their Future Self." Next year, Egg Press will mail back all of the author's letters to themselves. But for now, they are safe and sound in a letter time-capsule.

Huge thanks to everyone who makes Write_On a smashing success year after year, and especially to Schoolhouse Electric for their generous spirit and inspiring space. We hope you enjoy the following moments as captured by resident Write_On photographer, Christa Fowles.

Write_On + Ritual Coffee

What better way to hone in on a letter-writing practice than to make it part of your daily ritual. Hello!Lucky teamed up with Ritual Coffee, for a two-part letter-writing party that served as the official San Francisco Write_On kick-off. To really drive home the habit, we’re offering one card from our Write_On kit with every coffee purchase at Ritual Coffee on Haight St. and Valencia St. during the month of April. No excuses!

We were so pleased with the response we received at the Haight Street and Valencia street events.  We may be biased, but the coffee and card loving crowd might be our favorite! We gathered, we sipped, we wrote, and we did it all over again.

Special thanks to Ritual Coffee for co-hosting this Write_On event, to everyone who came out including the Sakura of America team, and to our sponsors for making Write_On possible.

Find a Write_On Party Near You

Although we've wrapped up our official Write_On launch parties, there’s still time to attend a community led Write_On event. Be sure to check out our Events Calendar for a look at what’s in store near you! 

Host a Write_On Party

No events in your area? Host your own letter-writing party! We've crafted the perfect hosting tool. Practically a party in a box, our Party Pack includes useful letter-writing tools, tips, and inspiration, plus a few extra gifts that you can enjoy yourself as the host, or use as party favors. We have 9 Party Packs left, which include:

• 10 Letter-Writing Kits
• 10 Write_On Notebooks
• 1 Sakura of America Gelly Roll Moonlight fine point 10 pack
• Letterpress Printed Party Tip Sheet
• Digital Write_On Party Invitation (download)
• Literally Letters Playlist (download)
• 1 Write_On Enamel Pin
• 1 Write_On Tote Bag
• 1 Write_On Calendar with daily writing prompts
• A sweet little pouch of die cut confetti hot off the presses

Nourishing Letters

Before the barrage of food images on our Instagram feeds, there were stories of food. There was a time when we could not, instantaneously, capture the bright white foam of a latte, or the particular way spring greens weave together on the plate, and send them to someone on the other side of a screen. If we shared an experience of food, it was with those privy to the scent, colors and textures of our nourishment—those sitting across the table from us. If we wanted to relate a dining experience to someone who was not at the table, we used words to translate the visceral experience of eating. We told food stories. Sometimes, these stories were shared via letter. Like a great meal, letters allow both the author and the recipient to slow down, and savor the moment.

I recently caught up with a good friend of mine, Katherine, in our favorite meeting spot, her kitchen.  She dished up two bowls of braised kohlrabi that she'd just pulled off the stove. She is the founder of Cook With What You Have, a resource for delicious, simple, vegetable-rich meals, so it was not at all odd to find myself enjoying a savory bowl of winter produce at 10am instead of a plate of pastries, with her. Between bites, we got up to speed on the comings and goings of our lives. For years, we'd worked together on initiatives to help people understand where their food comes from and to develop an appreciation for the people who grow it and prepare it.  So it was no surprise that much of our conversation on this morning was around food, but I also told her about the work I am now doing to encourage people to connect with one another via letters. This prompted her to pull a small blue envelope from a stack of papers on her kitchen counter. 

The outside of the envelope was marked February 10th, 1941. It was surprisingly sturdy for its age. I opened it, revealing a blue toothsome paper, on which a saturated, silky blue ink flowed across the pages like a beautiful stream, curving gently from side to side, up and down: cursive. In this letter, Katherine’s grandmother, Deborah, writes to her mother. It is a letter home. Deborah had recently moved to New York from Oregon. Now in the big city, she knew but one person, who was also a transplant from the Pacific Northwest. At one point in the letter, she describes sharing a meal with him, James Beard, or Jim, as she called him. Seated at the kitchen counter, I scooped up warm cubes of kohlrabi as Katherine read the letter to me—a story of a dinner with the Dean of American cookery. Deborah writes:

“Then I went to Jim Beard’s for supper. He is a most entertaining person. A charming apartment. Lives with a Jim Culhum—likely enough. Plus three other guests, all very delightful. A wonderful dinner done by Jim. Baked ham, delicious sweet pickled tomato sauce, French potato salad, bananas baked in rum, hot biscuits, pickled walnuts and coffee, after some good rum cocktails.”

As someone who has spent a good wedge of time pouring over James Beard cookbooks, locating the street on which he grew up in Portland, and driving to the Oregon Coast to commune with a stretch of beach where his family held sandy cookouts every summer, this letter granted a kind of kinship with James Beard that I previously thought impossible. I moved through time and space; the blue ink on manuscript paper transporting me to the New York apartment of a hero. There with Jim, I sipped a rum cocktail, plucked a pickled walnut from a delicate dish and enjoyed the warmth of a hot biscuit . That morning, a special connection was forged that defied life and death and time and space, as letters tend to do.

This month, we encourage you to share your own story of a memorable meal, an account of a time spent together at the table, or a description of a food that connects you to someone you love. Write it down. Send it off. You never know, it may end up in the hands of someone like me someday, who treasures it beyond measure.

And, if you are in Portland, Oregon, we encourage you to visit our two Write_On restaurant partners who also believe in the power that stories and food have to connect us. Pine State Biscuits and Ned Ludd are offering complimentary Write_On cards to all diners this month. Belly up to the table, enjoy a wholesome meal and make a memory with someone. Both restaurants are offering writing prompts, that, you guessed it, are all about the nourishing potential of stories.

Eat. Drink. Write_On.

Written by Lalena Dolby, Write_On Director

More Love Letters

When we first learned about More Love Letters, we were struck by its simplicity. You nominate someone who needs love to receive handwritten letters. That request goes out to a community of volunteers.  The letters come back, sometimes as many as 500 of them, and you deliver them in a bundle to your unsuspecting friend.  Wow.  What a powerful display of the kindness of strangers!

Reading MLL participants’ testimonials, you discover just how much letters can help people facing life’s most crushing, doubt-filled moments. A single letter communicates care and comfort. En masse, they show extraordinary solidarity, and as one participant wrote, “the goodness of humanity.”  

Recipient Valerie was in a wheelchair awaiting genetic test results and surgery when she received her letters. She writes,

I never really thought that I - or my story - was worth anything that wonderful. My sister proved me completely wrong this Thanksgiving when she surprised me with over 150 love letters from 5 different countries. I was completely in awe - all of these people, people who didn't even know me - cared about me enough to take the time out of their day to write me. Letters from people who shared my diagnosis, letters from those who shared my struggle with self-doubt, letters from those who just wanted to send a smile. Letter after letter I was flooded with the love, support, and strength I needed to face this newest medical challenge of mine. Even now it feels like a dream. I look over at my stack of letters each night and feel a brand new hope and happiness flood through me.

Writes Sarah, who requested letters for her friend Mia,

To all of those who wrote letters to Mia: thank you.  I wish I could personally look each of you in the eyes and shake your hands or give you a hug to pass on my gratitude and share just a glimpse of the love, hope, and strength that pervaded each of the notes you wrote.

More Love Letters posts new bundle requests each month here.  It’s a wonderful way to fulfill a day of the Write_On Challenge.  They’ve taken their model to college campuses via 75+ Campus Cursive chapters, with whom Write_On partner, Hello!Lucky, has teamed up to supply stationery and pens to students, to fuel the movement.

We can’t wait to see love through letters continue to grow.  In the words of Helen Keller,

Alone we can do so little. Together, we can do so much.

Envelope Dressing With Jillian Schiavi

Today on the blog, we caught up with Jillian Schiavi who presents us with tips on envelope dressing. Read on to hear from Jillian directly and see some of her work. Then, ready your pen; she makes it look so easy, we know you'll be inspired to bring your envelopes to life with beautiful strokes on paper!

When was the last time you got something in the mail that made you smile? I’m talking pure ear-to-ear grin as soon as you opened your mailbox and saw what was inside. For most of us, the only non-cringe-worthy pieces of mail we get these days are packages we’re expecting from late-night online shopping binges. And while getting a box of clothes to try on at home is nice, there’s really nothing quite like seeing your name handwritten on the front of envelope, evidence that someone thought specifically of you.

I’ve addressed countless envelopes as a professional (and slightly obsessive) calligrapher. For friends and family, for clients, political correspondence and for fun, I’ve experimented with different ideas of how to dress up these blank canvases. And what I’ve found is that while truly anything works, my favorites are simple. Black ink, white envelope, beautiful lettering.

In honor of the Write On Campaign, Sakura of America, Egg Press, Hello!Lucky and I invite you to try some of these ideas. Grab a set of Pigma Professional Brush Pens, pick the lucky recipient and your favorite gorgeously letterpressed card, and send some beauty through the post. You might just get something beautiful in return.

For this particular addressing task, I took on the challenge of using a utensil I don’t normally work with: a brush pen. For so long, this particular writing tool intimidated me. It felt elusive, uncontrollable, out of my comfort zone. And as creative people (yes, even you, you who doesn’t think they’re creative), pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones periodically is uber important. Although I’m used to using all kinds of different writing instruments - fine-tipped, felt-tipped, chalk, gel, pencil, nib-and-ink - I still get to learn how to be a lettering artist every time I try something new.

The first thing I did was experiment with how these particular brush pens release their ink. Pigma Professional Brush Pens come in three different sizes, which produces three different experiences of drawing with them. I tend to prefer thinner and more narrow lines, but for this challenge, I surprised myself by having a lot of fun with the thicker brush.

The trick here is to approach a brush pen as if it’s a traditional nib and ink calligraphy pen. Keep the downstrokes thick, and the upstrokes thin. Practice putting more pressure whenever you’re drawing top to bottom, and easing up on the pressure when you start to lead the line in an upward motion. For me, this took a lot of practice. I’d go too heavy on the upstroke, or take the brush completely off the paper and lose my flow.

I say experiment, practice, and have fun in the process. I know that I can tend to jump too quickly into trying to make everything perfect, but the real joy comes from learning more about yourself as an artist. When you start to get the hang of using the brush pens, even if it takes you much longer than you’d anticipated, then you’re ready to break out a stack of envelopes to write on.

Just like the last post I did using Micron and Gelly Roll pens, the aim here is to allow the envelope to feel full, without feeling cramped or crowded. There’s a fine line between having too little and too much on the page, and especially since some of the real estate of your envelope is already accounted for by the stamp, this makes the composition even more important.

Tip: If you’re working with white or cream unlined envelopes (meaning there’s no extra paper connected to the inside of the envelope, and you’re able to see through it), you can often create a handy straight-line guide.

Cut a piece of thick white card stock slightly smaller than the size of the envelope, measure out how far apart you want your horizontal lines, and draw them in thick black ink. That way, you’ll be able to slide the guide inside each envelope, and ensure straight lines every time you write someone’s address.

Once you’ve practiced and you have all your materials at the ready, have some fun with mixing up font and lettering styles, composition, a mix of whimsy with tradition, and outlining the envelope fronts with some graphic symbols and lines.

These techniques work beautifully when writing to your Senators and Representatives, and voicing your concerns as an informed constituent. Imagine their delight when they see a beautifully addressed letter coming their way!

I would love to hear your thoughts on using brush pens vs. other writing utensils. Are these new to you too, or are you an old pro? And which of these envelope styles are you excited to try? Leave a comment below!

Post by Jillian Schiavi & Sakura of America

The Making of Write_On

 

The Write_On Campaign is a labor of love. It couldn't happen without the abundance of skills, talents and passion of the many people who come together to create the annual Write_On Challenge. Each year, seeds of inspiration are planted, ideas percolate, cards and products are made. About ten months later, we debut not only Write_On Kits and Party Packs, but an entire program designed with one goal in mind: To encourage people to connect with one another in a meaningful way via the hand-written letter!

This year, we documented our planning and production process so that we could share a few of the important steps with you. Read on and you'll meet members of our team, see what makes a letterpress card so unique, and find yourself more inspired than ever to complete the Challenge. And, no matter how many letters you end up writing this month, remember: Write_On is more than a 30 day challenge, it is a movement that creates a better world — one in which people engage in authentic communication with one another. Thank you for joining us!

The Wall of Inspiration in the Egg Press Studio.

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Eunice and Sabrina of Hello!Lucky in their San Francisco studio.

Letter-writing Kit design phase begins after our team has reviewed feedback from the prior year's Write_On participants. We ask ourselves, "What worked with the design? What didn't?" We ponder how to create cards that serve as tools for reaching out and connecting with one another. One card doesn't fit all, but our designs attempt to work for most. After a design review by the Write_On team, we finalize artwork and order the plates that will be used to print each card.

The printing presses we use today were historically utilitarian workhorses, employed to create ephemera with individual pieces of wood or metal type set by hand. Today, we use polymer plates to bring our bold designs to life. The creation of plates involves a photo-sensitive process where the design is transformed from a computer file into a printable relief form.

With our newly designed plate locked up and ready to go, we mount it to the press bed on one of our Heidelberg Windmill printing presses. Blank paper is stacked on a feed table where, sheet by sheet, it gets fed through the press in a windmill like fashion--thus the press' namesake.

The polymer plate with Egg Press' Write_On card design affixed to a base and ready to be placed on the press.

Our printers mix ink by hand to meet the specifications of our designs. Ink is applied to the press, and we're off! One by one, sheets of paper are moved into place and an impression is made.

All of our Heidelberg Windmill printing presses date from the 1950's and 1960's.

Cards are displayed on the presses so that printers can check each card coming off the press for accuracy of registration and color.

Stacks and stacks of Write_On cards! All of our cards are printed on Mohawk Via Vellum Bright White paper.

Once printed, crop marks delineate where paper will be scored and punched out, otherwise known as “die-cut”. Mohawk Paper provided all of the Via Vellum Bright White paper we used in the creation of the letter-writing kits, an entire pallet of beautiful paper! This photo gives a glimpse into what 50,000 Write_On cards looks like after having been printed, scored and die-cut. They are now ready to join forces with their matching envelopes, nifty insert, and a pen. They are getting closer and closer to becoming your kit!

After thoughtful research into the best way to present the kit contents to you, our packaging team pulls all the pieces together. This year, we worked closely with Sakura of America to color coordinate the Gelly Roll pens they generously included in all of the kits going to those of you in North America. And, we worked with Mohawk Paper to craft custom envelopes to help you track your letter-writing progress, while showcasing your participation in the campaign with each card you send.

The 2017 Write_On Kit debuts!

Finally, we take pictures. Lots and lots of pictures, so that we can showcase the kits in a way that helps you know what you'll be receiving when you place your order. The only thing more exciting than seeing the kits complete and having engaging and innovative programming to deliver, is experiencing the passion with which you all embrace Write_On. We look forward to seeing your beautiful letters and to hearing about all of the connections you make this month. Write_On is bigger than a 30 day challenge or a kit of cards. It is a simple but powerful journey that we enjoy taking with you each year. Together, through letters, we can create a world rich in goodwill and meaningful relationships. Write_On!

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Christa Fowles, resident Write_On 2017 photographer, styles Write_On Kits and Party Packs in the beautiful Schoolhouse Electric Building, where the Egg Press studio and production facilities are located in Portland, Oregon.

kindle your letter-writing fire!

Miss Polly squirrelled away in her study.

Polly Hatfield — known fondly in the letter-writing community as Miss Polly — considers herself paper besotted. Hands down, over the moon. In fact, she has often wondered whether there may likely be a paper wasp or two in her family line. She is most at home when squirrelled away in her study with vintage typewriters at hand and her ink pot full.

We loved catching up with her in her study this spring. Read on and learn about some of Miss Polly's favorite letter-writing tools, and tried and true correspondence tips. Be prepared to be one hundred percent charmed by the magical, correspondence-rich world she has created in her home in SE Portland.

in the study with Miss Polly...

I must confess, I have been a stationery magpie, office supply zealot and avid letter-writer since elementary school. I never fail to be utterly wowed by the magic those 26 letters of our alphabet have the potential to spur. And, in truth, sending mail proves the best bargain around. For a mere 49 cents for a first class letter, or only 34 cents for a postcard, you can quite literally send your words  — whether a simple hello, a cherished quote, or an outpouring of love — on wing to anywhere in the United States. Hand to hand, door to door, heart to heart.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to join me and send well-tended epistolary joy as part of the Write_On Challenge this April: it's fun, easy and as the saying goes: good mail begets good mail. Make someone's day — and maybe your own, too.

A wall of inspiration boasts treasures from near and far.

prop rich

I once had a yoga teacher that liked to remind her students to begin their practice prop rich. That way we'd be ready for whatever the practice called for on any given day. I've held on to that wise morsel and believe the same holds true for a letter-writing practice.

A travel pouch brims with fodder for writing on the go. Rubber stamps are at the ready for envelope decorating. A warm cup of tea is reliably close at hand.

pouches & tools

By keeping an on-the-go portable letter-writing pouch on hand, you can jot a note when you find yourself with a clutch of minutes on the bus or when you've arrived early for your lunch date. A heartfelt postcard can easily be penned in these little wedges of time. I like to keep my letter-writing pouch well stocked with a handful of postcards, a few well chosen cards and a tiny up-to-date address book. If you use an electronic device for your contacts, be sure to add postal addresses! Keep a stash of postage stamps on hand, tucked into your wallet for spontaneous mail making.

A few favorite writing implements add panache to your practice. I prefer vintage fountain pens, Prismacolor pencils and the vibrant strokes of Sakura Gelly Roll pens. To corral my lively assortment of writing implements, I employ a collection of castoff containers. Two vintage aluminum canisters that used to house someone’s kitchen staples: tea and grease! on a countertop near a long ago stove now call my desk-perch home, another sort of hearth, a fire that warms and feeds.

Miss Polly takes an official Write_On envelope and adds color and visual texture with ink from rubber stamps and Sakura of America Gelly Roll pens.

Envelopes

I relish making my own envelopes as well as decorating outgoing envelopes. A little postal joy for all the hands that touch each parcel along its journey. San Francisco-based Red Handed Rubber proves a reliable source of inspiration on the rubber stamp front, and their offerings never fail to make a great impression. The owner, Jennie Hinchcliff, is the co-author of the seminal & swoon-worthy book Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art.

Miss Polly's basket of incoming mail invites time in the study to connect with loved ones.

Baskets & tins

I keep recently received correspondence in one spot, a veritable trove to inspire,  so I can both remember to reply in a timely fashion and  also have them close at hand to answer any questions as I jot my reply. I choose to end my missives with a query or two so that they feel more like a dialogue than a simple reportage. A big basket that is often full to overflowing holds incoming postal gems which eventually migrate to the ‘replied to’ basket before being archived in old Korean teacake tins.

Carving out time to write in our often busy lives can be challenging.  Creating a warm and welcoming space to do so can help you make the time! Miss Polly readies her space by lighting a candle and arranging freshly plucked rosemary on her desk. 

Make Time

Earlier Risers: A perfect way to start any day of the week: brew a pot of tea and collect some of your favorite letter-writing supplies. Light a candle or incense and spend the morning with pen and paper in hand — it's like sharing a cup of tea with an absent friend. Drop the missive in the mailbox on your way to work and know that you've launched your day off to a great start and will likely soon make someone else's day, too.

Night Owls: If you find yourself more of a night owl than an early bird, practice letter-writing as a way to unwind at day's end. Settle into your coziest chair, or enjoy the especially indulgent practice of penning letters from bed.

Like any practice, it's bit by bit. Congratulate yourself for each piece of mail sent and be sure to do whatever you can to kindle those letter-writing fires. The brighter they blaze the warmer they are. Remember: as mail artists like to say: you need to send good mail to get good mail.

Keep your flag up!

Miss Polly