A Letter is Better

Imagine this… you’re spreading some delicious almond butter on a piece of sourdough toast in your kitchen. The coffee pot rests on the worktop – the aroma fills the air and you smile. You’re content. Sunlight beams through the window adding to the comfortable warmth in the room and as you’re about to sit down and enjoy your breakfast, you hear the letterbox do its thing. Mail drops to the floor in the hallway.

Now, in our modern world it’s very likely those letters lying on the floor are so utterly boring it’s ridiculous to imagine leaving your current happy place in the kitchen to retrieve them. Do you really need to open another letter from Hello Fresh or Sunday Times Wine Club right now? Will it improve your day to know your MOT is due next month?

No.

I vote for enjoying your coffee and toast in peace.

But what if, now stretch your imagination real wide here, what if something amazing was lying on your hallway floor? Something meaningful. Something written with purpose and attention to detail just for you. Now imagine… in this new world you receive letters like this all the time. Let’s not go crazy and say everyday but at least once a month and from different sources from around the world. And here’s the real kicker, not only do you receive exciting mail like this, you also send it to other people as well!

You walk into the hallway while munching your toast and grab the bundle of letters off the floor. Three of them are almost identical but one envelope stands out from the rest. It’s smaller. There’s an interesting stamp and your name and address has been written by hand. You recognise the handwriting. You smile. You didn’t think this morning could get any better but… you were pleasantly wrong.

This is the world A Letter Is Better wants to create. It’s not an unreasonable one is it? Think it might have even existed not so long ago. The art of letter writing is disappearing from the world and together we can stop that happening. Receiving a letter from a friend or family member is special but so is being the sender. It’s an opportunity to slow things down a little. Make a plan. What are you going to say and in which order? Or maybe you’ll just freeflow and go for it! Do you have a favourite pen? Special paper?

To help you on your letter writing journey, attend the free A Letter Is Better workshop at Totnes Library at 11am – 1pm on Tuesday 25th March. Together we’ll explore the various types of letters, develop planning skills, share some memories, and of course write a letter to someone special. We’ll also write a second letter which will not be posted but we’ll discuss that on the day.

Writing materials and envelopes will be provided but this is a free event so please purchase your own stamps.

Check out the Facebook Event for further details and learn more about the 10,000 letter challenge which you can be part of! This workshop is mainly for adults but younger writers are also welcome.

To book your free place please email: letterisbetterworkshops@gmail.com or speak with Adam at 079421 53851