Send me an (Art) Postcard!
As the calendar was turning over to 2026 it was clear that the economy is tanking, layoffs are heavy and inflation is up. Times are hard on the Boulevard and colorful owls aren’t exactly a “need” in your life. Understanding that people’s pocketbooks are hurting, and as a small thank you to my supporters I offered up the chance to receive a hand drawn postcard in the mail. You know, the old fashioned way. Put a stamp on it, drop it off at the Post Office and see where / when it ends up! As the world turns to digital this and that, I care more about the old analog ways. Putting pencil to paper and making a mess. Digital Art is cool and all, but have you ever received a colorful, physical work of art in the mail??? It just feels different and brings a smile to the recipients face. Probably livens up the mailman’s day as well. They sort through thousands of pieces of junk mail per day, some colorful owls should change the mood.
This was a rewarding exercise. The first two months of every year are very slow for Artists, at least for this one. My sales and events are typically non-existent in January and February, which is why you can typically find me snowboarding in the Sierras. These postcards kept me busy and creating for what would otherwise be a dormant period. And most importantly, I had a blast making all these postcards. It allowed me to feel creative and productive when I usually would not be. That’s not to say it was easy.
I was expecting 5-6 people to take advantage of this offer. Boy, was I mistaken. I received over 100 emails requesting an Art Card in the mail. People really like the price of “FREE” ! It was a daunting task, but I gladly obliged and fulfilled the requests, knocking out 4-5 per day and completing the epic art journey in just under a calendar month. Very proud of myself for that, it definitely had the chance to drag on. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers. Of the 100 emails, 20 people forgot to include a Street Mailing Address. Reading comprehension and logic is clearly lacking these days. LOL. Maybe next time… 10 people simply wrote to say Hi and Thanks for doing what you do. Word. Thank you. Postcards were sent out to 9 different countries on 4 different continents (and a few islands). Puerto Rico represent! Not making any political statements here, but I noticed that postcards to Canada were severely delayed, while Post to Europe only took a few days. Some made it to Italy before others made it to NYC. I can’t explain any of this, other than USPS is a mess. I managed to send these postcards out from 6 different cities. Check your postmark, they weren’t all sent out of Oakland. In the USA, it was California and the Eastern Seaboard that responded the most. Hmmm, how do i break into the Midwest markets? Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi where you at?
Well, that was fun and definitely kept me in the creative zone and off social media. It was an honor to make some art and send it your way. Maybe we’ll do this again next year? Someone has to keep the Post Office in Business. Buy Stamps!