Today’s Tutorial Tuesday is by the very talented Eva of Sycamore Street Press. Eva and I met years ago in a printmaking class at BYU (Brigham Young University). Now she and her husband live in Heber, Utah running their vintage letterpress around the clock – or so it seems! Their shop is always full of beautiful cards, posters, and fine art prints. I love them all.
A few months ago, I learned that Eva loves snail mail – she even has a pen pal (how great is that?!). Lucky for you and me, she agreed to share a few of her letter writing secrets.
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When was the last time you sat down and handwrote an honest to goodness letter?
In a world of emails, texting, Facebook, and Twitter, the art of written correspondence is falling out of fashion. What a sad thought!
Let’s bring letter writing back! A good place to start is by getting in the habit of sending thank you notes. Although phone calls and emails expressing gratitude are nice, how much more enjoyable is it to get a handwritten thank you note in your mailbox? It is said that Princess Diana would sit down at her desk right after returning from an event to write a prompt thank you note. You see? Writing thank you notes will make you regal…or at least more thoughtful.
For those ready for a more in depth letter writing experience, think about who you could ask to be your pen pal. There are services online for finding pen pals, but I think the best way occurs more naturally among people you know. Do you have a friend who has moved far away? Or a “kindred spirit” you met while on vacation? I met my most faithful pen pal while I was traveling by myself through Belgium. We’ve now been corresponding for almost 10 years, and have managed to meet up a couple of times.
If you need a little kick in the pants to get started, join the Letter Writers Alliance. They have free downloads, beautiful stationery and things to purchase, as well as a blog to keep you motivated and fill you with snail mail ideas.
A couple more sources of inspiration:
Mysterious Letters: Two friends sent a handwritten note to each of the 467 residents of the Irish village of Cushendall.
Lakshmi Pratury: She gives a TED talk about the legacy of her father’s letters.
Now I hope we are all motivated to take a little time to write down some of our thoughts and send them to a faraway friend. And if any of you happen to be looking for a cheerful card to send, please take a look at my shop: Sycamore Street Press.
Thanks for having me on your blog, Sarah!
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Thanks, Eva! Are you motivated to write a letter? I hope so. I added it to my list of things to do today. Who will you write?
You can find more of Eva here: blog, shop, facebook, etsy.
images via Eva Jorgensen and Letter Writers Alliance
Thanks for the inspiration, Eva. I know just the person who would enjoy a letter in the mailbox, and probably even write me back. Thanks for the motivation!
A post after my own heart. I thought I was the only one who hand wrote anything. I love it. My great Aunt in her 90′s has always written notes to me, on beautiful stationary and cards. I love to get them, and then write back. Thanks for a great post and great inspiration. Super fun!!