Today's Think Kit topic: What was the wisest decision you made this
year? Who did it impact? Describe your decision-making process, discuss
the results, or just share a little learned wisdom.
For me 2013 feels like the year of bad decisions for me... if I were more superstitious I'd blame the number 13 but.... so trying to come up with the wisest decision I mad this year was hard. It was so difficult, in fact, that I almost skipped this post altogether, or picked another topic. But...
Sometimes the small decisions are the ones that can be the wisest. And maybe this wasn't the wisest decision I made all year, but it sure was a good one.
In February I heard about this thing called Tradeschool, where free classes were offered. That's right- free! Classes! Free knowledge! I could trade items for people to teach me stuff! What a fabulous concept and completely right up my ally since I'm a lover of life long learning!
I signed up for a something called a letter writing social. Oh, I swear I won't wax poetic about my love of letter writing since I've done that a million times and bored you all to death (but if you're a new reader and want to hear my poetic waxings, go here, here, and here...). Let' suffice it to say I love to write letters and believe in putting pen to paper. That being said I thought a letter writing social would be great.
AND IT WAS! It went beyond great! It was amazing, fun, fabulous, interesting, and knowledgeable. And it really changed my entire year in several ways.
I had no idea there was such a phenomena as mail art. And let me tell ya, there is. Google it. It's pretty cool, a whole movement. It's a real art genre. Wicked interesting and I love learning something new. So with this in mind, I have to say there is no more plain Jane envelopes get sent from this girl anymore. Everything gets 'arted' up a little bit. I don't care if I do nothing more than a few stickers and some washi tape or if I try to draw something or use an unusual mailing packaging, nothing with a stamp on it leaves me without some creativity added. (great book to learn more: Good Mail Day)
In addition to learning about mail art and attempting to create my own, I've also become interested in the history of the USPS and stamps. I'm not a stamp collector now (and probably never will be) but I like looking at the stamps through history, learning about the post office, learning about mailing processes and deliveries. My family teases me that I'm single handedly trying to save the post office. Perhaps there's some truth to that... Thus I've also reinforced my status as huge nerd girl of the family.
While at the letter writing social, I also found out about some pen-pal web sites. THIS IS WONDERFUL! I signed up and suddenly I started receiving mail from strangers around the world. This was last March and I'm still writing letters to many of those folks, and new friends, since then. I send several dozen letters/ postcards/ packages a month, and receive the same! It's so nice to go to the maibox and have something other than bills, leaflets and junk. I had so much mail that I even now have rented my own Post Office Box! Nothing makes me smile more than opening that box to a stack of letters!
To top it off, I experienced the Trade School concept and love it. I've taken several classes throughout the whole year. It's a great way to learn something new, meet interesting people, do something different, and be part of a community. The ladies who organize Trade School Indy are just wonderful women!
So while this wasn't a huge decision and maybe not the "wisest" it certainly was one of the best decisions I made this year. I found an interest that influenced me all year, I met great people that I still see when I'm able, and it really has helped push my creative-ness to a new level. And... it makes me happy. And that, my friends, it the key for me in 2013. I want to be happy, and trade school, letter writing, the USPS, and mail art sure puts a smile on my face.
Happy mail!
Maggie
Showing posts with label mail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mail. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Letter writing hobby
Lately I've been "into" mail art.
Several months ago I went to a letter writing social and mail art work shop. We invaded a bookshop with our writing supplies and art supplies and went to work. The goal was to hand write letters to people for the first hour. (We could also use the old fashioned manual, antique type writers). Nothing "electronic".
The second part of the workshop was to create designer envelopes. And this includes everything- rubber stamping, paper-folding, washi tape, stickers, coloring, painting-- you name it, it was fair game.
We also learned of the USPS mailing restrictions!
So I tried. What I found interesting was one of the workshop facilitators showed us examples of mail she had received and this stuff was super cool- it looked like no mail I've ever received. Then she showed us a few web sites of people who were looking for fellow lovers of letter writing or mail art. Ah-ha! I've waxed poetic for years about the art of letter writing being a dying art and now I've discovered fellow letter writers? A whole society of letter writers? A guild of letter writers? Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllll, OF COURSE I signed up!!!!
I also went home and did research and, people, mail art is a serious THING. It's an art movement. really. Not kidding! Google Images mail art. Also go read about it here (yes I know it's wiki but it's actually good info!)
And I've received some very amazing pieces of mail art as well as some amazing letters and postcards. With the site you can actually find people who want pen pals and will write back and forth. There are also people who want to exchange just a postcard. Others want to send "trash bombs" which is an envelope of art supplies. Some like notes. Some just want to do a "one off" I'll send you something one time and you send me something once and that's it. I've received paper crafting supplies, recipes, Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), postcards, stationery, tea, and chocolate. I've started corresponding with several people. I write to every single person to writes to me. Sometimes it takes a week or 2 but I respond to everyone no matter what.
I'm also very big into postcards. I pick them up everywhere I go and write to people and mail them off. I read people's profiles and try to send either a postcard that relates to something in their profile or send to people with whom I have something in common. I've found with postcards I"m VERY random in what I say- maybe people think I'm crazy?
Some folks are like me: their letters are the strong point of this experience. Others are killer artists. Some are both- amazing letter writers AND artists! My letter writing is my strong point- I usually generate 3-5 page letters to folks! I do have a tendency to just use homemade envelopes, a few rubber stamps some stickers and some washi tape and call it art. BUT I have sent some "mail art" envelopes.
Remember, I'm not Picasso or VanGogh. I struggle with stick figures. It's the thought that counts, right? The effort?
Those are just some samples. I've sent other stuff, LOTS of other stuff. I've send some mail to readers here (do you recognize your letter up there?), too, because I sent letters to friends and family not just strangers! (I have more examples but it's shows people's addresses and I don't feel like messing with paint to block 'em out right now!)
I've also fallen in love with the Post Office. I adore stamps. I actually dashed to the PO on my lunch hour this week to buy a page of Johnny Cash stamps before they were all sold out so I can do county and music themes letter art! The people who work at the post office either love me or are not my biggest fans. I don't like them to "print" postage on white labels; I want them to give me actual STAMPS to equal what I need. I also like to look through the stamps to pick out different ones I like, taking a few here and there, rather than just 1 sheet of 1 kind. I ask questions about mailing processes and weigh limits. One woman likes to see what I've created and gives me ideas of how to protect my art. Another woman, when she sees me come in, waves me to the front of the line and hands me the stamp book because she knows I'll stand there for 10 minutes pouring over the postage, adding up how much I need of each stamps and finding just the right one. (I like to try and use the postage stamps as part of the art when I can!)
If anyone still reads here and wants a letter (and a feeble attempt at mail art) go ahead and give me your address in my comments. I will NOT publish your address though I already have addresses for many of you!
Write more letters! Use less email! Because a mailbox full of letters and mail art is much better than a box of bills!
Happy Snail Mailing!
Maggies
Several months ago I went to a letter writing social and mail art work shop. We invaded a bookshop with our writing supplies and art supplies and went to work. The goal was to hand write letters to people for the first hour. (We could also use the old fashioned manual, antique type writers). Nothing "electronic".
The second part of the workshop was to create designer envelopes. And this includes everything- rubber stamping, paper-folding, washi tape, stickers, coloring, painting-- you name it, it was fair game.
We also learned of the USPS mailing restrictions!
So I tried. What I found interesting was one of the workshop facilitators showed us examples of mail she had received and this stuff was super cool- it looked like no mail I've ever received. Then she showed us a few web sites of people who were looking for fellow lovers of letter writing or mail art. Ah-ha! I've waxed poetic for years about the art of letter writing being a dying art and now I've discovered fellow letter writers? A whole society of letter writers? A guild of letter writers? Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllll, OF COURSE I signed up!!!!
I also went home and did research and, people, mail art is a serious THING. It's an art movement. really. Not kidding! Google Images mail art. Also go read about it here (yes I know it's wiki but it's actually good info!)
And I've received some very amazing pieces of mail art as well as some amazing letters and postcards. With the site you can actually find people who want pen pals and will write back and forth. There are also people who want to exchange just a postcard. Others want to send "trash bombs" which is an envelope of art supplies. Some like notes. Some just want to do a "one off" I'll send you something one time and you send me something once and that's it. I've received paper crafting supplies, recipes, Artist Trading Cards (ATCs), postcards, stationery, tea, and chocolate. I've started corresponding with several people. I write to every single person to writes to me. Sometimes it takes a week or 2 but I respond to everyone no matter what.
I'm also very big into postcards. I pick them up everywhere I go and write to people and mail them off. I read people's profiles and try to send either a postcard that relates to something in their profile or send to people with whom I have something in common. I've found with postcards I"m VERY random in what I say- maybe people think I'm crazy?
Some folks are like me: their letters are the strong point of this experience. Others are killer artists. Some are both- amazing letter writers AND artists! My letter writing is my strong point- I usually generate 3-5 page letters to folks! I do have a tendency to just use homemade envelopes, a few rubber stamps some stickers and some washi tape and call it art. BUT I have sent some "mail art" envelopes.
Remember, I'm not Picasso or VanGogh. I struggle with stick figures. It's the thought that counts, right? The effort?
Those are just some samples. I've sent other stuff, LOTS of other stuff. I've send some mail to readers here (do you recognize your letter up there?), too, because I sent letters to friends and family not just strangers! (I have more examples but it's shows people's addresses and I don't feel like messing with paint to block 'em out right now!)
I've also fallen in love with the Post Office. I adore stamps. I actually dashed to the PO on my lunch hour this week to buy a page of Johnny Cash stamps before they were all sold out so I can do county and music themes letter art! The people who work at the post office either love me or are not my biggest fans. I don't like them to "print" postage on white labels; I want them to give me actual STAMPS to equal what I need. I also like to look through the stamps to pick out different ones I like, taking a few here and there, rather than just 1 sheet of 1 kind. I ask questions about mailing processes and weigh limits. One woman likes to see what I've created and gives me ideas of how to protect my art. Another woman, when she sees me come in, waves me to the front of the line and hands me the stamp book because she knows I'll stand there for 10 minutes pouring over the postage, adding up how much I need of each stamps and finding just the right one. (I like to try and use the postage stamps as part of the art when I can!)
If anyone still reads here and wants a letter (and a feeble attempt at mail art) go ahead and give me your address in my comments. I will NOT publish your address though I already have addresses for many of you!
Write more letters! Use less email! Because a mailbox full of letters and mail art is much better than a box of bills!
Happy Snail Mailing!
Maggies
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