I love the way that cards and letters sent through the post make such a difference to the sender and the recipient. I’m sure we all know how wonderful it is to receive a handwritten letter in the post, it happens so rarely there is such a sense of excitement. That moment when you find the letter on the doormat and wonder who has sent it, or recognise the writing and know there’s something special inside.
There is something so personal and special about the time and consideration that has gone into creating a letter, and because a letter is tangible, I think more meaning can be found in the handwritten text than in an email or some other kind of digital message. Correspondence you can see, touch, smell, and keep is so rare these days. A letter travels to arrive in someone’s hands, in some cases it can travel thousands of miles! I love to write on beautifully textured card or paper, it just feels so pleasurable.
If the joy you experience in receiving a handwritten letter isn’t enough to tempt you into writing one of your own, here are some reasons why it can also be good for you too:
It makes you happy: The person you are writing to is going to experience such excitement and know that you care. A handwritten card or letter shows the recipient how much they mean to you and this, in turn, will make you feel good as well. Letters and cards can be so personal and are a physical reminder to the person that you are thinking about them. I think the effort behind sending any kind of written correspondence sends a message in itself.
It gives you a chance to reflect: Because you are carefully thinking about what you are writing, your mind is able to focus on the content. This means you have time to think about what you are writing down and sharing.
It helps you to be mindful: Writing a letter makes you slow down and take care in the process – you can’t delete anything (unless you have tippex!), so you have to to put thought into what you write. Plus the movement of pen-on-paper encourages peace, it makes you be present in the moment.
You create your own personal history: Letters are responsible for a great deal of what we know about history, significant and more personal events. Saved letters tell a story, and the details like handwriting, and your own voice that comes through in the writing, and is something to be treasured. I have a box filled with letters from when I was a teenager that I received from lots of people and it’s so funny to read back the things we wrote about or at the time; places we went to that I have forgotten about, gigs we were planning on going to, boys we fancied, our hopes and dreams! It’s much nicer than re-reading old emails.
Sending a card or letter in the post is the most lovely way to show you care and I love that the illustrations I make get sent all over and treasured, so you share in my love of nature and creating.
It makes me very happy to know that my illustrations are helping people like you to stay in touch and show love for others, as well as sending thank yous and good wishes all over the world.
I have a little collection of writing paper, printed envelopes and notecards that you might like- click here to have a peep!
Thank you for reading, love Angela x
