MAIL ART

Prompt Against Anxiety #25 | from Siwar Masannat. Masannat is a Jordanian writer and the author of 50 Water Dreams (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 2015). Siwar holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Their work has been or will be published in Fence, Lana Turner: A Journal of Poetry and Opinion, Black Warrior Review, and Under a Warm Green Linden.

I admit I haven’t been writing lately. In order to ward off the oldnew anxiety, I’ve been doing arts and crafts on Saturdays. So this prompt will be about DIY gifts.

I’ve been creating little postcards to send to friends. I am no visual artist, but I find that I can relax into playing with colors and shapes. I have a set of watercolor pencils and they are a lot of fun. On the back of the postcard, I include a note. I write to say hello, I quote a little poem, or I write a prayer or a joke.

To make your own postcards, you will need copy paper or a drawing pad, paint, cardboard or thick index cards, a ruler, a glue stick, and a pair of scissors or a cutting knife. I use a mat as a cutting surface, but you could use a kitchen cutting board, too. You may want to visit your local art supply store or buy your materials online from Jerry’s Artarama or Blick’s on sale.

According to USPS, a First-Class mail postcard must be:

• Rectangular
• At least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inches thick
  
• No more than 4-1/4 inches high x 6 inches long x 0.016 inches thick

I find this size constraint quite nice to work with.

You can use whichever kind of art making tool you already have. Or you may want to experiment with collage or photography, or use pages from a coloring book.

Back in the summer I bought some stamps in solidarity with USPS. They have $0.35 First Class postcard stamps with lovely coral reefs on them and I’ve been using those. If your handmade postcard does not meet the dimensions above, USPS will treat it as a letter, so you must then use a regular First Class Forever stamp that costs $0.55.

Prompts Against Anxiety is sponsored by Milwaukee Public Library, an anchor institution that helps patrons read, learn, and connect—to our resources and our community. Now more than ever, stay connected, stay home, and stay safe. 

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