Everyone enjoys getting letters. They provide an air of mystery and excitement when they arrive in the mail amidst bunches upon bunches of bills and advertisements and coupons you will never use. So why did we stop writing them?
I made a resolution several years ago (when I got into lettering) to write more letters whether they be thank-you notes or birthday cards or just-because letters. My original intention was to practice my art, however, it has evolved into something much more and it is something that anybody can begin doing; you don’t even have to have nice handwriting! This article, I hope, will provide you with some inspiration to start writing your first few letters.
Thank You Letters and Notes
You can write some well overdue thank-you notes for holiday gifts received, or even “thank you for existing” cards. The receiver will definitely feel like their gifts were appreciated (and they will probably feel more inclined to keep on giving…)
I always use special stamps and use a brush pen to create fun lettering for the outsides of my envelopes! (don’t worry about the post office, I’ve never had anything returned because it was “unreadable”).
Tell Them Something New
One of my favorite letter-writing prompts is to write down something new you learned recently. It’s kind of like small talk at a party, except you can go into more detail because it’s a letter!
In this letter to my pen-pal, I described some new information I learned about the ancient Indus Valley civilization.
You can make beautiful letters with everyday things! I tea-stained some regular notebook paper, used a binder clip to attach the picture, and wrote with a regular pencil. I also used a brush pen for the outside of this envelope.
Copy Cat
When you’re completely stuck on topic, copy a famous or well-known letter! For this one, I chose to write out one of my favorite letters; it’s a note Kurt Vonnegut wrote to a high school class that had contacted him about coming in and speaking to them. It’s absolutely inspiring! A great source for finding letters is Letters Live (letterslive.com). Not only can you find copies of a bunch of great letters, but you can listen to people like Ian McKellen read them aloud.
And of course, be sure to include the original date and name, and possible a little note of explanation!
Happy letter writing!
Erin McCoy – When I’m not in my studio creating artful messes, I’m with the 20 preschool children I work with, creating even more messes! Besides calligraphy, I love food, camping, crafting, and reading…I try to balance them all out every day. I feel I’ve come alive through the expression of my creative process, with the scratching of pens and the whispers of brushes and I can’t wait to help bring people’s ideas to life! { Instagram } { Twitter } { Website }
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