In a world of text messages and emoticons, LOL and TTYL, it’s rare to see words spelled out completely, much less handwritten on real live paper. Now, online, there are two sites dedicated to celebrating and re-energizing the almost-lost art of letter writing.
The first is Letters of Note. This is a blog-style website that, in their own words, features “fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos.” The site features each new letter by couching it in the context in which it was written. For example, there’s one between a mother and the band Green Day about whether or not one of their albums is appropriate for an 8 year old. The site features the mother’s typed letter and the band’s handwritten response. Another, my personal favorite, “Persist” was written by Pixar animator Austin Madison to “aspiring artists in a bid to inspire them through times of creative drought.” Click here to read the whole handwritten letter in its original form on Pixar stationary fully-equipped with a hand-sketched drawing sign-off.
The second is Snail Mail My Email. This month-long project, which garnered a lot of attention via Creativity, the Daily Good and more, allowed you to send them a quick email and then “sit back and relax while your email is handwritten, sent out, and delivered to the recipient of your choosing, completely free of charge!” You could even choose which personal accent you’d like, a doodle, a rose petal or even a squirt of perfume. The project just ended August 15th and they sent over 10,000 letters around the world. Check them out here.
Here’s to using the online portal to celebrate one of the most traditional forms of communication there is: the letter.
