I guess the point of The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society is to dip in, be inspired, and dip out again feeling encouraged to write a letter to someone you like or love or want to ask about. When I started researching (Googling) everything to do with letters I was fascinated to find so much interesting stuff that people had shared and to see in many ways letter writing has a strong beating heart. The internet is such a rabbit hole which can take you on a magical journey, I do love it, but I end up feeling all a bit bombarded after several hours of it. Educated too, but for me writing a letter (that sounds so dry and dull in comparison!) just balances out all that information overload. There’s no explaining it really. You have to try it. Honestly, after that, if you come back and say “Ugh, that was a dreadful experience!” then I promise I will rethink my aim to keep handwritten letters alive. But I think really I am not alone.
One of the loveliest discoveries is Letters Live, especially the rather charming Benedict Cumberbatch reading Letters of Note (another amazing project). I worry that like some poetry, some letters aren’t meant to be read aloud (I might be on my own there), but Benedict Cumberbatch could read the Telephone Directory (do they even still print them nowadays?), and I’d happily listen. And Letters Live has gone down a storm by all accounts which is wonderful to think people do still hold letters in such high regard.
My other favourite discovery today alongside Letters Live and Letters of Note was the making of Postman Pat. Just look at his little tiny jacket! Cute!
But anyway, I guess it’s to be inspired! The Be Inspired page is just a mini-collection of all things lettery which you mustn’t spend too long looking at because you have letters to write! And do let me know if I’m missing anything obvious.
Dinah
Letter writing for me might just be part justification to collect paper and pens. I’m a card maker too so I can’t just accumulate all those cards. They must be used, right? Don’t get me started on the pens. My favorites are fountain pens. Modern fountain pens but I enjoy writing with a plain old Bic too.