What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of art? Is it paintings, dancing, pottery, photography, or baking?
Letter writing is a form of art that has gotten lost in the online world. People generally feel that writing a letter takes too long–
It is much easier to send a quick text to your friends and family and get almost an immediate response back.
It’s not as intimate. Texting is too common.
Instead of the art of thumbs, we should create art that requires dedication, thought, inspiration, truths, love, even heartbreak and tears. Move the souls of those to whom you have written across page after page for their eyes alone to see.
Messages on a phone can be hacked, but mail struggles through harsh weather. Though beaten and torn, the words remain the same: “It’s me. I love you. Please read.”
I believe writing letters to someone can have a much deeper meaning than sending a message on various social media apps. It demonstrates the time, love and care you put into each stroke of the pencil or pen.
You take the time out of your busy day-to-day schedule to sit down, whether it be indoors curled up on a chair or in front of a desk or outdoors soaking in the sunshine or breathing in the cool night air and have a conversation. This conversation is not between you and a piece of paper, it’s between you and the one you are sending it to. Let it show with every single word you put on the page.
A piece of your heart is sent in a neatly folded letter that is tucked into an envelope, maybe with a photo or another treasure inside.
I remember receiving letters and notes in grade school. It made my heart skip a beat and thump in anticipation of the words that would jump out at me from the lined pages.
Do you remember receiving handwritten notes from your admirers? Well, more like you receiving a note from their friend because they were too chicken to give it to you in-person, face-to-face. Scary!
The letters I received from my friends were not always mailed, not every gift is packaged, labeled, or wrapped. Sometimes the letters were hand-delivered, just a few sheets of lined paper folded together. This didn’t make them any less special to me.
I loved getting notes from my friends. I loved the ones that came seemingly “out of the blue.” Those notes were showered with kind words and deep sincerity, describing how they enjoyed our friendship.
Do you remember passing notes around in class? Those are a separate category all their own, but hardly anyone even does that anymore either.
Texting someone sends a faster message than someone scribbling something down having it passed around the classroom until it reaches its destination. There is less likelihood of getting caught.
The plus side to receiving handwritten letters from friends and family is not having to scroll through an endless stream of messages on your phone just to read a few lines.
I keep the written messages from my friends in photo albums to look back on whenever I am feeling nostalgic or need something to cheer me up. The letters are framed in my mind and heart, just like a photo from a camera, in black and white or in living color.
Kim Stager can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @journalismgoals.