By Sara Bloomberg
When everything else feels like it’s speeding up, that’s a good time to slow down.
Enter the postcard.
Sit down. Compose your thoughts. Put pen to paper. Then a stamp on it. Find a mail box. And send the card on its way. No read receipts. No tracking labels. Just the act of mailing it, and knowing that it will arrive when it arrives.
Normally there’s no expectation that the recipient will write back. The postcard is a memento from traveling and doesn’t even have a space for a return address. At a time when millions of us are stuck at home, the postcard can be a physical manifestation of ourselves even when we can’t show up in person.
Why not just text, call, message or video chat? Sure, do all that, too.
But if you want to say hi or check in another way, free from the internet and the distractions of our always-on smartphones, consider the postcard as your modern day carrier pigeon.
Unless you already have a stockpile of postcards and postage at home, you’ll need to order supplies online if you live in a city or state under stay at home orders. Remember to allow some time for shipping delays.
Postcard stamps can be ordered directly from the United States Post Office in sets of 20 or 100. And there are plenty of artists selling postcards at sites like Zazzle*, Red Bubble and Etsy*. I also found a local San Francisco art studio, 3 Fish Studios, that is accepting online orders. Know of other local artists still selling their work online (especially if they have postcards)? Let me know!
If you receive a postcard, return the favor by writing back and perhaps pass the gesture forward to someone else.
Let’s get #ProjectPostcard rolling.
P.s., if you order from Zazzle, sign up for the free 30 day trial of the “free” shipping option… it’s either $10/year for “free” shipping or $8 for standard shipping per order… you do the math. Shipping on Etsy varies by seller. Etsy tip: search for “postcard set” to filter out single postcards and select “ships from United States” to get American-style postcards (instead of greeting cards in envelopes).