The picture above is a card I received from a very lovely lady that lives in the UK. She also plans on sending me some geeky embroidery inspired by the game Bioshock Infinite, which we both love.
It's adorable, right? everybody loves a good crochet octopus with a sailor hat!
Anyway, the reason I've begun this post with that particular picture is that I wanted to combine one of my passions with an arts & culture post on this blog for a while, and about a month ago I found the solution!
Of course it took me this long to get the post written out, but oh well!
See, I am a big fan of sending out letters and post cards to people who appreciate them as much as I do. Nowadays, with email and texting and all that technology floating around, this is otherwise known as Snail Mail.
Ever since joining the International Geek Girls Pen Pal Club (IGGPPC), I've had a pen pal of my own, and we've been sending each other letters back and forth.
Here are a few pictures of the letters & gifts that my pen pal sent me for my birthday in August.
I also joined an incredible group called Postcrossing.com
The premise there is that you can send and receive post cards from all over the world! I haven't received any yet, since I only recently joined, but I have sent out two cards, one to Germany, which arrived at its destination safely, and one to Russia, which is still en route.
Here is a picture of the card I sent out to Russia.
I bought a slew of post cards last time I was in Toronto, and now they're coming in handy :)
Anyway, I suspect that it's time to actually get to the point and connect all of this to arts and culture.
Well, while searching on the internet I happened to find another blog, also hosted on Blogspot, that is called Mail Art Postcard Exhibition.
Truthfully when I had been conducting my internet search I'd been hoping for more of a true blue art exhibit showcasing post cards (because that would be amazing, right?).
Instead I found this, and while it's not actually out there on display in a gallery or studio, it still works.
And truthfully, it gets me to thinking.
The reason that snail mail has died out so much is because of several advances with technology, and the fact that it's much easier to email somebody instantly for free than to pay postage to send a letter that can take however much time to arrive.
I'll admit, snail mail may not be convenient anymore, but it isn't really about convenience nowadays, is it?
It's about recapturing something that has been lost. It's tangible nostalgia, to run down to the mailbox in the morning and be excited when you see an envelope addressed to you (and when it's not a bill).
In a way, isn't a lot of art center around that idea, about capturing something that has been lost? Not just visual art, but even music and theater can portray that ideal in their own way.
It's funny to have an exhibit of post cards being displayed through an electronic medium. It's almost contradictory in a way, when you really think about it. But nevertheless, the person behind that exhibition blog has been doing it since 2004, and that is certainly impressive.
I really do appreciate snail mail. It has me connecting with people in a way I wouldn't be able to simply through email.
And it's something that always has me gazing at the card selection at the store in awe. There's so many colours and types to choose from, it's near impossible!
(The stationary section is one area where Target beats out Wal-Mart.)
I think that's about all I have to say for now! So until next time,
~ topCAPcritic
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