There is only one thing I like as much as writing letters, and that is receiving them. Nowadays, it is not common to take a piece of paper, look for a pen, pour your heart onto the paper, address the envelope, take it to the nearest post office or post box and wait for the letter to arrive at its destination. No wonder it’s called Snail Mail in England.
Maybe that is the reason why I find more meaning in Snail Mail than in an email. The sender gifted me not only with a message but with time and effort and the intention of making memories.
Knowing that it can be difficult to find inspiration, here are my THREE MUSES that help my creativity to flourish when I more need it.
1- Being part of an Envelope Exchange
I am a member of the Copperplate Special Interest Group, supported by the Calligraphy & Lettering Arts Society – CLAS. One of the group schemes is the Envelope Exchange, supervised and organised by Ann Jamieson. She sets up groups of six members interested in exchanging beautiful works of arts once a month. For me, it is a great motivation not only receiving the letters but having the opportunity of meeting amazing people who share the same enthusiasm and interests as me.
To be part of the Envelope Exchange you must be a member of the CSIG (annual fee of £13 for UK residents and £21 for overseas members). With your membership, you will receive a welcome pack and four printed issues of our newsletter. You can also be paired with a mentor or volunteer to be a mentor. The group is very friendly and supportive and we are happy to welcome new members.
You can put your name forward for the Envelope Exchange at any time and Ann will add your name to a group. There are two rounds per year, starting in March and November, but if there is someone dropping from the scheme, you could be invited to join in earlier.
2- Having a subscription to The Postman’s Knock Newsletter
I have been following Lindsay at The Postman’s Knock since 2015, and she has been invaluable in my first approach to Modern Calligraphy. Her weekly newsletter is always full of creativity and innovation. I can combine her illustrations and flourishings with my own calligraphy style, and the result is amazing every time. I particularly like her posts about envelope embellishment, such as this recent post in her Blog.
3- And, last but not least, BOOKS!!!!
Here, I will rely on the knowledge that an image is worth a thousand words. If you are interested in knowing more about these publications, please contact me by email and I will tell you all about them.
So, now what?
I hope you feel inspired to put pen to paper and start letting your family and friends know how much you love them. And if you have a little spare time, I hope you write to me (address in the envelope above). I promise to write back to you!
Thanks for reading and until the next post.
