Welcome back, you considerate creatives! Last week, we practiced the little courtesies that help us get along. Did attention to everyday curtesy bring out your best self? Did you have any luck starting a conversation with “goodbye” instead of “hello?“ Perhaps your three-dimensional illustrated relief of “Make yourself at home” revealed why some invitations require conditional supervision. No matter the occasion, I hope a familiar expression gave you something new to ponder.
This week, we’re returning to tangible objects for several minutes of uncomplicated contemplation; our creative nudge this time around is an envelope. If you don’t have one handy, rest assured the Postal Service will bring you several of them, six days a week. Finally, a reason to get excited about junk mail.
One of my favorite Frog and Toad stories by children’s author Arnold Lobel is “The Letter,” from Frog and Toad Are Friends. Toad is sad because nobody ever sends him mail. Frog writes him a letter and recruits a snail to deliver it, then returns to wait with his friend Toad. Once Toad knows a letter is coming from Frog, his wait feels different. Frog demonstrates how to be a best friend by being a good listener.
Unlike Toad, I get plenty of mail. I scan envelopes to decide whether it gets opened or goes straight into the trash. Authentic handwriting earns a closer look, which must be why I get those mailers with the faked authenticity. And those little windows don’t really provide any useful clues for the receiver.
Anything with Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) enclosed gets opened…those forever stamps are more valuable than an empty aluminum can in California. This “Current Resident” wonders what is “Personal and confidential” about your advertisement.
I still write letters, and mail most of them when I can find a correct-sized envelope. A card mailed in an envelope to your address counts as an actual gift in this email era. My daughter’s handmade cards remind me that decorating the envelope can be part of the gift too; your mail carrier agrees.
Now’s a great time to rescue that errant envelope that’s been in your office drawer for years, or reuse that mailer ad before you recycle it; use it for several minutes of creative thinking and doing:
- Outside Voice: Redesign a used envelope so its exterior makes someone smile. “Important Information Enclosed” might accompany a drawing indicating your ticklish places. “Time Sensitive” could appear beneath a drawing of melting ice cream. Use lettering, color, even that plastic address window to create a welcoming exterior.
- Open Says Me: Gently open an envelope along its glued seams. Reshape or combine a few deconstructed envelopes together in an abstract sculpture. Or flatten them out for a writing surface which can be folded up and mailed, or sailed across a room.
- First Class Friend: Choose somebody who would enjoy hearing from you. Decorate an envelope with a detail from a shared experience: a meal, a vacation, something you still laugh about. Someone you see regularly still qualifies for a pleasant delivery.
- Pressure Sensitive: Slip a dry leaf or a piece of textured paper inside an envelope. Rub the side of a pencil lightly across the outside to reveal what’s underneath. Treat those ridges as a map or process tree and see where it takes you.
- Drop Naught: Balance an envelope on the back of your hand or your head and carry it across the room. Or to the mailbox. Notice how your shoulders, knees, and pace accommodate this very light duty. Add a flourish or a bow. Choreograph a short delivery dance.
I like that an envelope gives us a manageable amount of space to work with. There’s room for a little bit of information, but to really understand, we have to open them up and read what’s inside. I may never get my cards and envelopes all matched up, but I can give a spare one another chance to send a message.
This column was written with help from ChatGPT, which can produce a letter in seconds and read one even faster; no envelopes required.
