August 3rd, 2024

How do you feel when you complete a letter by sealing the flap on the envelope? What are your thoughts while tucking in a handwritten missive? These are questions that we can answer based on personal experience and with the feedback from visitors to the Letters Trellis

tent.

Putting the final seal on an envelope is like framing a creative piece of artwork that you yourself have executed. It gives the satisfaction of checking off a task combined with a sense of finality to the creative

product that is held inside. This same feeling of accomplishment accompanies the letter’s placement in a mailbox as you hear the envelope’s descent into the abyss of the big blue receptacle. The uncertain element of timing via our current delivery system adds a bit of mystery (and a little leap of faith) but one can guess at what day the addressee will find an interesting envelope in their post and

imagine their reaction to receiving it.

Envelopes offer an opportunity to embellish the letter inside. Some artistic writers have added a sketch as decoration or to indicate the theme within. This same idea of an illustration within the letter’s text

has been a significant addition by some writers who have drawn an image or doodle as they consider their next phrase. Among the numerous published collections of letters by notable personalities are

photos of some texts that include the drawings of artists like Vincent van Gogh, Winslow Homer, and Frida Kahlo with sketches that enhance their message or give an idea of their current work.

On our Letters Trellis days at the market, we have many conversations about written correspondence, sometimes leading to a pause in market pursuits to sit with paper and pen. Having written their letter, visitors return to our tent to select a stamp. At times they have expressed emotion with tears, or an exhilaration and excitement that is palpable as they recount the reason for their letter and consider the impact of their chosen words. Some writers tell us why they chose the person they have written, like one woman reminiscing about her deceased mother and choosing to write her mother’s friend to remember occasions they had shared together. Many guests have not written a letter in recent memory while others confidently assume the posture of writer and scribe. The sight of these writers, with their pens in hand, invites curiosity from others at the market who might stop and inquire about what we do. 

While we generally do not hear the reaction of the readers who receive the envelopes penned at our tent, on one occasion we received

an enthusiastic message from a man in response to a letter received from his young niece. This gentleman had subscribed to the free informed delivery service offered by the U.S. Postal Service that

allowed him to view his incoming mail. Among the usual pieces of incoming mail, he was able to see an envelope that his young niece had sent to him. He phoned her several times to inquire what she

had written, but she insisted he await the letter to read her carefully written words. Afterward, he wrote to express his appreciation to us, attributing this surprise parcel to his niece’s visit to the Letters

Trellis tent. He ended by telling us that they would now become on-going pen pals.

As you write your own letters and seal your envelopes, consider the reaction it might evoke in your reader. You could even consider adding a favorite drawing or doodle to your writing. Sometimes a

little sketch can cover a mistake in writing, turning an errant letter into a flower or a little creature to add to the amusement of the page.  We encourage you to sit and see what fills your letter sheet. As always, we offer our assistance and encouragement to you as you put together this gift of a letter.

[2024-07-27 updated]