Correspondence: Any substrate will do!

Was there ever a time in your life when you were excited about sending or receiving a handwritten letter? Did you ever have a pen pal? At the age of five I was fascinated with correspondence and spent hours composing my thoughts on a folded piece of typing paper which most always read:

Dear (my first penpal) Gretchen,

Hi! How are you? I'm fine.
I can't wait until summer.
Well I have to go. Have a great day. TTYS!
F/F,
Jennfer

My favorite part about writing a letter was not in the composing but in the decorating. If there was white space, I would fill it with hand drawn hearts, swirls, rainbows and maybe even a sticker or 12.
After carefully folding my decorative (certainly not a literary) masterpiece, I would seal the envelope and lovingly address it in the most fantastical handwriting possible and then embellished it with hearts, swirls and rainbows, using my best set of magic markers. Those poor postal workers! It's a wonder that any of my letters made it to their destination.

I am still in touch with Gretchen. Although I have her address, we mostly correspond through social media. I saved each and every one of her letters and a few years ago I wrapped them all in a ribbon, placed them in a decorative, hand painted box shaped like an antique lunchbox. Rather than mailing them back to Gretchen, I hand delivered them to her. She was shocked that I kept them. As we read them, we laughed at ourselves, our handwriting and our love for decorating envelopes.

The other day I opened a plastic bin and laughed myself silly over my unique collection of correspondence with friends.

I came across a letter from my older brother Todd. His creative way of wishing me a Happy 18th. Birthday was to scribble words of wisdom - on a napkin! His college roommate, Paul, wrote me a birthday wish as well. He decided to write me a note on the back of his OSU math class homework.

My favorite letter came from my father in 1992 after I moved to New York. It was his wish that I would find my way home, so he wrote a short letter to me on a map of Richland County (Mansfield Ohio).

It is from receiving and creating heartwarming, silly and inventive letters that inspired me to marry my love of correspondence with my art to create my company, Jennifer! Designs, Ltd. I think that the advent of emails and e-cards is awesome but sending a handwritten letter or note goes one step further. The process enables you to put your personality into it whether your handwriting is beautiful or not. A letter or card in the hands of the receiver is sure to engage and touch them.

I encourage you to take part in the rewarding experience of handwritten correspondence where friendships form, develop and last a lifetime.

Who knows? You just might get a response on a napkin!