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Is Letter Writing an Art Form?

Is Letter Writing an Art Form?

Snail mail, love letters, correspondence, paper and envelopes with ink on them; whatever you call letters or even what you may think of them, they’re still an art form that is sadly a dying art.

I don’t think of myself as particularly old but the fact I recall letters written in ink on paper with great affection may set me in that category.

As a teenager I’d eagerly wait for the post hoping for a letter from a distance loved one, usually a boyfriend who lived far away, as we didn’t have email or texts way back then. I treasured those scribbled notes of love and kept them tied up with ribbon, for what I don’t know, because when new love interests appeared, they were tossed out along with any lasting thought for the one who wrote them.

Things are very different these days, letters are few and far between, in fact most things that come via the snail mail letterbox at the end of the driveway are usually bills or advertising. There’s the occasional postcard from friends and relatives who are overseas, birthday cards and so on but the hand written letters are very rare. Its so much easier and more convenient to type up a quick email or send a text to someone and they arrive instantly, well usually anyway, depending on the network doesn’t it!

 

There is an art to writing, in fact anything that’s supposed to hold someone’s interest long enough to read the whole thing takes quite a bit of thought and talent. Back in the old days letters were carefully thought out, both in there content and what with special paper with a squirt of perfume, a matching envelope and perhaps a wee trinket or photo, they were reactionary in most senses.

 

Anyway, have you tried to purchase proper writing paper lately, or what about a full set with matching envelopes etc? It seems to be as scarce as hens teeth, in fact the last few letters Ive personally written have all been on photocopy paper because that was all I could find, bit sad really, but then I didn’t have the time or inclination to go hunt out and buy some special paper and I know deep down that Im probably never going to use it all anyway or for that matter I’d probably end up sending an email instead because I needed an answer on the matter I was writing about a bit more quickly than what it would take for the damn thing to be written, a stamp found, posted and then the time it took for it t arrive at its destination anyway.

Right now however, Im missing my dearest friend who Ive known for over 30 years, she moved to the UK about 3 years ago and I think she would love to receive a handwritten letter from me, especially around about now as she lost her dear Mum about this time just before she left NZ. So that’s something I think I should do and I challenge all of you, my readers to go forth and write a letter to someone special, just to let them know you are thinking about them and how much you care, go on, you can do it, make someone’s day special by something so simple, in a world that’s over flowing with fast technology and little time for such things, I think it would mean a lot.

I doubt we will ever get back to the days of wax seals, mint tasting strips to seal the envelopes, note-cards to match or bundles of ribbon tied love letters but one letter now and then could be something that is treasured and reciprocated by sender and receiver and cement that special friendship forever. Im off to buy a stamp now, Ive made some recycled paper with pressed dried flowers in it and I think it would be perfect to write on and send to my friend.

Posted: Tuesday 16 February 2010

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