Letter 25

I've been a bit apprehensive about approaching the half-way point of my Letters Through the Year project. I started to feel that all letters that I write are a bit the same, and though the intention is good. The format of 'Dear ...' doesn't vary.

Why am I thinking this though? I'm sure years ago people only worried about the content of their letters, not the lay-out and design. The fear that a letter by itself isn't exciting enough. Whatever these fears are, and whatever motivates them, I do firmly believe that experimentation is a good thing. So this week I experimented and produced by first photo-letter.

My version of this photo-letter phenomenon that I have invented just now, is that for each day of the week, you take a picture, print it out and then write on the back of it how that day was. I guess it's part letter, part-diary. I'm not sure I got it quite right, and I got very busy so some days got written all at once. Also, sometimes the back of photos is quite hard to write on. Certainly not Basildon Bond paper, but I think it sort of gives a different dynamic to the letter. I'll publish the photos, when I know the letter has arrived, because I don't want to spoil the surprise for the recipient. It's the sort of thing I would like to receive, so I'm sure other people would like it too.

For me, and as we've discussed before, the writer does get something from the process of creating the letter, it made me realise how very busy and how all over the place my weeks can be. I think I need to slow down. In a way it was slightly self-defeating as I was so busy printing pictures, I didn't have time to indulge in what I try to do which is to sit down and have a cup of tea out somewhere and cogitate.

The point is, I changed the format, broke out of the box and hopefully wrote a nice thing for someone to receive. What this space for the reaction!