The Art of Keeping in Touch

This post is written by contributing author Anabel Bouza.

One of my favorite things about the holidays is the arrival of colorful envelopes in the mail, seasonal card enclosed. They come from older relatives, and a few friends who are intent on preserving the arcane art of postal correspondence.

With the internet, and our capacity for light-speed exchanges across the globe, postal communication has been rendered all but obsolete. Nonetheless, I'm yet to encounter an e-card or Facebook wish that elicits the delight of a tangible card, of a handwritten letter with its unique folds and inky dents.

Illustration by Anabel Bouza

There's something very enjoyable about the well-loved edges of a postcard that has been processed by the mail system, or the satisfaction of feeding a weighty envelope to the mailbox...!

As much as I love snail mail, I confess to often letting a sense of inconvenience overpower my good intentions. The small effort and planning it all takes means that, some years, I send out a deluge of holiday cards —on others, not even one. 

But now I've discovered a way of correcting this: since I have a hard time meeting the holiday deadlines, I will no longer wait for the holidays to be my cue! 

This is my plan:

- Buy postcards pre-emptively. 

- Carry one at all times. 

- Fill it out on a whim. 

- Drop it on the first mailbox that crosses my way. 

I'll report back with the results of my experiment.  

What about you? Do you have a clever routine that has made it fun and easier for you to mail letters, cards, and care packages?

Anabel Bouza insists there's powerful magic in the action of creating something out of a vague vision, a chill of inspiration. She is an illustrator with a passion for nature, paper manipulation, and pointing her camera at things.

Her appreciation for simplicity dates back to a former life in Cuba - her strange homeland - where she refined the ability to see the alternative uses of common objects, and the enchanting side of things. She's often found blogging as Weird Amiga, hard at work in her sunny studio, or staring at things as if looking at them for the first time. Her tiny family is comprised of her husband & a turtle; they're new to the city of Chicago, and they love it. Connect to Anabel via facebook and twitter.