Reviving the Lost Art of the Handwritten Note

In today’s world of rapid-fire texts, emails, and social media comments, communication is more available and more dysfunctional than ever. A few weeks ago, I realized I had forgotten to respond back to a question from a friend, but couldn’t remember for the life of me how she had reached out to begin with. I searched Facebook messages, emails (I have four accounts = ridiculous), text chains, and Instagram messaging. Turns out it was Voxer, another communication tool I love but had forgotten about in my panic of responding to my friend.

At a time when our most heartfelt emails or our best texts are getting lost in the noise (and frankly, sounding insincere), please help me welcome back the handwritten note (applause). I’ve been penning more of these little guys lately and finding a lot of joy in attaching the stamps and walking them to the mailbox. I encourage you to give this forgotten art a try. The recipient will be so grateful for the time you took to write. She won’t care what the handwriting looks like or where the note is from (I get plenty of $1 cards at Trader Joe’s) but in my boutique-filled town, there are more than a few beautiful, heartfelt and witty cards to choose from.

When I’m penning a thank-you or thinking-of-you note, I reach for the whimsical print collection from The Forest Feast (the art is replicated from Erin Gleeson’s gorgeous cookbook), or cards I keep on hand from Maria Pace, a local watercolor artist who transfers her paintings on everything from dishtowels to greeting cards.

If someone needs a laugh (sometimes that someone is me), I reach for these clever letterpress cards from Sapling Press. I sent this one to a friend who lost a loved one recently because sometimes a straight-up sympathy card is just a little too heavy. One of my favorite Charlottesville stores, Roxie Daisy, carries the line.

The smartest and most poignant card designer is Emily McDowell. Her Empathy Card series combines heartfelt sentiment with observational humor and the outcome is amazing. I could hang out on her website for days. She is carried locally at a handful of stores including Rock, Paper, Scissors.

No matter where you buy your cards, the most important thing is that you send them. The best part? Paying your kindness forward ensures that it will eventually come back to you.