Helloooo, Correspondents!
Long time no see, eh? I’ve been on a wild ride, but I won’t bore you with the details. I’m contemplating doing a 4th round of Creative Correspondents. The problems are that A) It takes a LOT of time for me to make the matches and to keep track of all the participants and questionnaires. And B) So many people flaked on the past 2 rounds that I feel rather disheartened with the whole project. It sucks that people voluntarily signed up and requested a pen pal and then wasted my precious time and disappointed their pen pal by not following through. If I offer a 4th round, I feel that it will be necessary to charge a small fee for matching. Perhaps $5.00? Also, previous participants will need a referral from their previous match before I will offer them a new one. Let me know what you think!
The Art of the Handwritten Letter
Here’s the final article in my 3 part series, featuring an interview with mail artist, Miss Thundercat.
Shh!
The elves have been unusually quiet of late because they’ve been busy making the Round 3 matches. Future Correspondents, check your inboxes! You should receive your Round 3 match within the next 48 hours.
put it on paper: arts and letters
More crafty people spreading the word about Creative Correspondents!
8 months ago - 
1
1 Now that you have a pen pal, how do you get started?
For basics on letter safety and what to write, check out the second article, in my three part series, on The Art of The Handwritten Letter.
Round 3 is officially open!
Hello Correspondents,
Round 3 of matching is officially open! If you are a creative, aged 25 and older, who would like to be matched with a like-minded pen pal, send an email to creativecorrespondents at gmail dot com requesting a questionnaire. Fill it out and return it to us no later than September 14th. Spread the word!
Good Morning, Correspondents
If you are a creative, aged 25 and older, and you would like to be matched with a like-minded pen pal, stay tuned. Round 3 details will be posted soon.
Get To Know Your Correspondents, Episode #012 - Double Feature!
In this special episode of Get To Know Your Correspondents, you’ll meet Kat A. and Heather B. who were matched in Round 1.
Name: Kat
Location: California, USA
How long have you been corresponding with your Creative Correspondents match, Heather?
So far, Heather and I have exchanged 3 letters, and I’m furiously writing my response to hers. That girl has a quick turnaround! Admirable!
What’s your favorite thing about Heather’s letters to you?
Heather’s letters are so warm and friendly. It’s like we’re sitting together having lunch—her “conversation” just flows. She asks questions and gives lots of details when she describes things. We’re both dancers, so I get a kick out getting the chance to geek out over dance stuff very few of my friends truly understand.
Name a shared interest or something that the two of you have in common.
As I mentioned previously, Heather and I are both belly dancers. I’m a strictly tribal-style dancer with just a bit of tribal fusion thrown in for flavor, but Heather’s had some amazing experiences in tribal, cabaret, and fusion styles. We’ve been dancing for the same number as years too, so it’s interesting to compare experiences. I just had a BIG performance this weekend, and I can’t wait to give her the details!
Describe your letter reading ritual.
My letter-reading ritual goes a little something like this: Open mailbox, curse over the bills and junk mail, shriek in delight when I find an ACTUAL LETTER, then race up to my apartment (sometimes opening the envelope simultaneously), and plunk down in the nearest spot to sit, then read, read, read.
If a film were made about your correspondence with Heather, _____ would play you and _____ would play the role of Heather.
In the film version of our correspondence, I would played by Emma Stone (sarcastic redheads, ahoy!) and Heather would be played by some lovely brunette, like Liv Tyler or Christina Ricci. I admit it—I looked Heather up on Facebook! She’s got the prettiest dark hair and sparkly brown eyes! Our actresses might need a few dance lessons first, though…
Is there anything else that you would like to share about your Creative Correspondents experience?
It’s just so much fun, and it’s great to have someone that I not only share interests with, but someone who’s in my generation. Sometimes I feel like a total old fart on Tumblr (and I’m only 28!), but this has put me in contact with someone really interesting and close to my age. It’s fun to get to know someone like this—through letters and words, not profiles and tweets (though those are fun, too).
Kat submitted the photo on the right and wrote, “Attached is a photo of the BellyDance Superstars, and while it’s not only a gorgeous photo, it shows the real “sisterhood” of bellydance—your dance sisters are always there for you. In my troupe, we even have dance brothers!”
Name: Heather
Location: Louisiana, USA
How many letters have you written to Kat so far? How many have you received?
I have written two letters to Kat and received one. I know she is in the middle of a move so it’s okay. I can’t wait to receive more.
After reading her initial letter, what was your first impression of Kat?
That she is super awesome and we could be great friends. I love that I have someone out of my belly dance circle to talk belly dance with and it’s nice getting to know someone through letter writing.
I really enjoy when Kat writes about _________.
Belly dance and her every day life. I get a glimpse into someones life. It’s neat.
Describe your letter writing ritual.
When I’m writing a letter, I like to have a clear mind and clear space. It allows me to give the letter and recipient that attention that they deserve. I like to use colorful stationary and Bic Velocity 1.6 pens because they write so smooth. I take time to answer all questions asked, throwing to stories to go along with them, as well as asking questions myself. I like long letters. I think it really gives you room to get to know someone better.
If a film were made about your correspondence with Kat, _____ would play you and _____ would play the role of Kat.
This one if difficult to answer because I don’t really know many belly dancers that are actresses. I would say Rachel Brice and Zoe Jakes because they are awesome, amazing, aw inspiring dancers. But if any actress would play me, I would say Ginnifer Goodwin.
Is there anything else that you would like to share about your Creative Correspondents experience?
I have to say that I am so happy to have found this great community. I am having so much fun and hope everyone else it too. I strongly encourage everyone to send snail mail. It’s much more fun to get an actual letter in the mail than just bills haha. Keep being awesome!
The photo on the left was submitted by Heather.
The Latest
Hello, Correspondents! At the end of the month, we will open Round 3 and send out questionnaires to creatives aged 25 and older who would like to be matched with a pen pal who shares his or her interests. There will be a couple of significant changes.
1) All potential correspondents must rate themselves a minimum of 4 (4= personal obsession, 5 = professional) on a interest/proficiency scale of 0-5 in at least two creative categories listed on the questionnaire. Here at Creative Correspondents we match based upon creative compatibility.
2) Repeat correspondents will need a passing grade from any previous matches in order to be considered for a new match. We will email your previous correspondent and inquire as to whether you’ve been a diligent pen pal.
Stay tuned for more news and for new episodes of Get To Know Your Correspondents. You can also follow us on twitter @CCorrespond.
