What Does Letter Writing Mean to You?
Today is World Letter Writing Day - a recent initiative set up in 2014 by letter writing enthusiast Richard Simpkin, to celebrate the art of the handwritten word.
"Handwriting is your DNA, it's your finger print that only you can share with others. Pick up a pen or pencil and write a letter today."
Letter writing is at the heart of London Letters. Our goal, always, has been to create beautiful stationery to encourage you to put pen to paper.
As a child, letter writing was a habit instilled in me by my parents by way of writing thank you letters after birthdays and Christmas, and it's something I've continued into adulthood with conviction.
Not only is it a relaxing way to spend a few minutes, but the beauty of an individual's handwriting, the way their letter has been uniquely formatted, spelling errors scribbled out, the odd tea stain perhaps, and the fact that you know someone has carved out time to dedicate solely to this moment, all adds to the treasure of a letter, and is why this art form should be cherished.
Our Letter Writing Society currently has just over 450 members, and we're growing by the week - an encouraging sign that I'm not alone in my adoration for the written word.
So, wanting to find out what it is our members cherish about letter writing, I tasked them, in one line only, to tell me what letter writing means to them. Here's what they had to say:
'I love sending my thoughts across the miles to the friend l’ve never met but now feel l know through our letters.' - Suzanne
'The knowledge that you are brightening someone's day, with the added anticipation of receiving a reply... on a continuous loop!' - Sharyn
'Writing letters is a way to connect with people across the continents - sharing everyday thoughts and extraordinary occurrences with pen and paper.' - Mary
'I love letter writing because I love the creative act of choosing the card and pen I will use. I also find that letter writing is meditative and encourages me to be in the present moment.' - Stefana
'I began letter writing to keep a much-cherished form of communication alive, make new friends and find ways of spending less time scrolling through my phone absent-mindedly. We must not let this beautiful, relaxing and humble craftsmanship die.' - Lizzie
'Writing by hand invites you to slow down and make time to share what matters to you.' - Naomi
'What I enjoy about letter writing is that it allows me to express myself in my own time.' - Jack
‘Letter writing is my chance to become another link in the long, ancient chain of people through the centuries who have paused and shared their moments with others via pen and paper.’ - Danette
'Anticipation, savouring, sweetness, intoxication, connection.' - Evelyn
Why not celebrate today by picking up a pen and some paper (it doesn't have to be fancy, any piece will do!) and make someone you know's mail day by sending them some unexpected post. You'll find plenty of letter writing prompts throughout our Journal and Instagram if you're struggling with writer's block, but a good place to start is just a simple 'hello, I've been thinking about you' and see where this leads you.
If you're feeling really enthusiastic, why not sign up to our Letter Writing Society yourself, and make a new friend by way of snail mail? Or if you're not feeling up to the idea of a pen pal, then our Paper Club is a good way to encourage you to write to the people you already know and love. It's a monthly box of hand-printed letter writing goodies delivered to your door with a theme each month to help you get started, as well as always ensuring you have a beautiful note or card to hand for any given occasion.
Happy writing!