Jalen Gooch

There is truly something special about receiving a handwritten letter from a loved one.

Throughout history, writing letters has served as the primary means of communication. People would wait weeks to hear back from their friends on topics as serious as the state of the war or as mundane as what they ate for breakfast that morning.

As technology has progressed, we are now able to communicate with others all around the world instantaneously. While this seems to make the world more connected and united, it has only made us seem farther apart. 

My Experience Writing Letters

Growing up I always expected to find 4 to 5 cards in the mail around my birthday and Christmastime. These letters carried well wishes and gifts from friends and family all across the country.

While the number of cards I receive has dwindled, I still can expect a few cards every year. I keep a Ziploc bag full of cards I have received, with some dating back 10 to 15 years ago. There is something special about looking back at the words written by loved ones at various points in your life.

As times have changed and family members have passed on, it’s as if I still have a piece of them, written by their own hand, that I can go back to whenever I need. 

I still have cards from my mother, writing to my sister and me when we spent a few weeks staying with our grandparents in Oklahoma. I still have the letter from my best friend in elementary school, asking if we could save up our tickets for a no-homework pass. These letters have and will always hold a special place in my heart.

It wasn’t until the pandemic that I started to send out my own letters out into the world. Feeling isolated at home, I desperately looked for ways to connect with others. At the time I remember stumbling across a campaign to “Save the USPS” on social media, encouraging people to buy stamps and send letters.

Being that I had plenty of time on my hands, I decided to draft a post on my Instagram story asking if anyone would want to receive a letter, if I decided to write them. The response was overwhelming and I received around 30 requests from letters ranging from close friends to people I had never met. 

It became a way for me to reflect on the stories and memories I made with my friends in high school, despite how abruptly it all ended. It also was a way for me to connect with my future peers at university who were all experiencing the same anxieties and complex feelings as I was being stuck at home.

There were a handful of people who I exchanged letters with during this time, whom I would not meet in person until maybe a year or two later, and these letters now serve as the starting point of our friendship.

Benefits of Writing Letters

It can be easy to quickly reach a friend with today’s technology. Why go through the long and often costly process of writing a letter?

Gives you a moment to reflect. With emails and text messages, we are able to edit and curate the information that we share with others. Taking the time to sit down and write a letter, you are forced to stop and think about what it is that you want to say. You might make mistakes or change what you want to say as you write, but this messiness is what makes a letter feel more real and human.

Connecting with others. As humans, we have an innate desire to be connected with those around us. Handwritten letters are often more intimate and intentional than the typical text message or email, and give us a chance to connect with that individual deeply on a personal level.

Letters are Tangible. Being that handwritten letters are something that can be touched or held, we inevitably cherish them more. Artist Kristin Freeman writes in “There’s No Better Time Than Now to Write a Handwritten Letter,” that “handwritten letters are often seen as rare, intimate, and precious; therefore, their physical presence often stands the test of time.” (Imperfect Ink)

Writing and Receiving Letters can lift your spirits. Anyone who has received an unexpected letter from a loved one can attest to this. Research conducted by the United States Postal Service in 2020 found that “65% of people agreed that receiving mail lifted their spirits. About 67% said they have sent or would send mail to family and friends.” (Verywell Mind).

The Power of Surprise. When we send a text message or email, we expect it to arrive instantaneously. With letters, however, there is no guarantee when the letter will arrive or what will have changed between the time you wrote and when the recipient reads it. David Merril writes that “receiving a handwritten letter is an unexpected surprise. It instantly captivated the recipient’s attention in a way that a standard email or advertisement seldom does,” in his article, “The Psychology of Handwritten Letters: Why they Work.” (Yellow Letters Complete)

My Tools / Process

Since starting my lettermaking journey, I have picked up a few tools that have made the process easier and more enjoyable for myself and the recipients of the letters. Depending on how quickly I need to get a letter out or the resources I have, I will adjust what I put inside the letters, but here is what I typically use to get you started.

The Basics

• Letter Set: While you could just as easily use a piece of printer paper and an envelope, I’ve always found that having a matching letter and envelope set can make the experience much more personal. And it doesn’t have to be expensive, I use this blank cardstock letter set and decorate the inside and outside myself.
• Stamps: If you aren’t mailing your letter you can skip this. If you are, you’ll need stamps. You can buy stamps at your local post office, but I always like to buy stamps online and pick out my favorites. Make sure to buy Forever stamps, so that they still work even if the price of stamps changes in the future.

Additional

• Wax Seal Kit: A fun and easy way to elevate any letter you write is to wax seal it. It can seem pretty intimidating at first, but I promise you it is extremely easy to pick up. I bought a Wax Seal Kit for around $16 and have used it ever since. You can also purchase custom stamps on Etsy for a further touch of personalization.
• Washi Tape: I’ve always used washi tape to decorate the outside of the envelope. If you are writing letters during a specific season or for a special occasion, I guarantee you can find a set to match.
• Tea Bags: Tea bags are one of my favorite things to put inside letters. They are small and flat enough to not make the final letter too bulky and are a fun surprise for the recipient. I usually will use Taylors of Harrogate Assorted Specialty Teas Box and place individual bags into the letter. (Make sure they are individually packaged)
• Stickers: It doesn’t matter what age you are, everyone loves stickers. As with the washi tape, if there is a specific theme I want to have for the letter based on the person or circumstances in which I am writing, I will find a cheap sticker pack on amazon and throw some into the letter as well. 
• Thrift Store Book: For my letters, I usually will create a bit of a collage on the envelope involving book pages, washi tape, printed pictures, and more. For the book pages, I have always used pages from a cheap book I found at the thrift store.
• Ink Block & Stamps: Whenever I am running low on time and need to get a letter in the mail, I’ll rely on a set of rubber stamps I received as a gift from a friend to decorate the envelope. They are relatively cheap and another way to add a bit of personalization and charm to every letter you send.

My Letter Writing Process

1. Write the Letter: While the simplest, this can arguably be the hardest part. I try to approach writing the letter as if I were either journaling or talking with the person in real life. You can think about what you want to say ahead of time, but a part of the magic of writing letters is that you never know what you will say until it is down on paper. 
2. Fill the Envelope: After writing the letter, I typically will fill it with a few things to make it more enjoyable. Recently I have been filling my letters with a printed photo, stickers, a tea bag, and cut-out quotes and images I found on Pinterest. In the past, I have sent song and book recommendations, pressed flowers, and more. Just be sure the envelope isn’t too bulky or it can face issues while shipping.
3. Seal and Mail: After making sure everything is in the letter and it is correctly labeled (always triple-check), seal the envelope, place the stamp on the letter, and send it off. (I’ll always take a picture of the letter before I mail it just in case something goes wrong when shipping).

Letter-making is truly a lost art that is needed in the world now more than ever. If you are unsure of where to start, why not write a letter to yourself? I have a handful of letters that I’ve written reserved for specific events or years in the future.

You could surprise a close friend with a letter, letting them know how thankful you are for them. Maybe let a friend you fell out of touch with know you are still thinking of them.

The opportunities are endless and give us a chance to truly connect with those around us in a meaningful way. The letters we write and receive have the potential to deeply impact and change the lives of others, so what are you waiting for? Pick up that pen and touch someone’s life today.

Thank you for making it this far! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic so feel free to comment below or email me at funemployedera@gmail.com. If you are interested, I also host InMyFunemployedEra, a podcast where I discuss similar topics. Thanks again for reading and until next time. Take Care!

References

Field, B. (2022, November 29). The surprising benefits of sending Snail Mail. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/sending-and-receiving-letters-have-powerful-benefits-5095709

Freeman, K. (2024, September 6). The benefits of writing a handwritten letter • imperfect ink. Imperfect Ink. https://www.imperfectink.com/learn/writing-a-handwritten-letter/

Merrill, D. (2024, January 8). The psychology of handwritten letters: Why they work. Yellow Letters Complete. https://www.yellowletterscomplete.com/the-psychology-of-handwritten-letters-why-they-work/