retrouver postcards is a postcard project which seeks to reignite the joy of using pen and paper just to say hello. Each postcard contains a unique prompt word to help give shape to your message, or to encourage reminiscing on memories or moments through the lens of that specific word.All photographs are by Chloe Vlahos. You can find more of her work at www.chloevlahos.com
To help you get creative with it, one randomised prompt word has been placed at the top of each postcard for you to use and incorporate into your message however you wish: recount a shared memory, delve into something you've been thinking about recently, or simply describe the view from your window.Don’t fret too much; just see what images the word evokes for you and write whatever comes next down.The prompt word on the postcards is just a stepping stone: the rest of the message is for you to find.
Montreal, Canada
£1.99
Vermont, USA
£1.99
Naxos, Greece
£1.99
*
Prices do not include shipping. Please proceed to the checkout and enter your address to see relevant fees.
The word on the back of the postcard will change depending on the chosen print. E.g. the Vermont, USA print will have a different word to the Naxos, Greece print, but each Vermont, USA print has the same prompt word on the back... I hope that makes sense!*10% of each sale goes towards the South & East Bristol Foodbank.
Full Pack Bundle
£5
Each postcard is printed by a family-owned local business here in Bristol who support environmentally friendly printing processes by using a carbon balanced printer –– and because nature is very sweet and climate change is not, all postcards will be sent via envelopes sourced from charity shops to help support the circular economy.The cards are A6 in size and have been printed onto high quality Invercote paper – perfect for scribbling, smudging and spilling your heart (and ink) out on. With the glossy finish these postcards also double up perfectly as prints; so you could even write yourself a message on the back and then frame it somewhere on your wall, forgetting about the words and then re-discovering them later when you change the decor! I mean it’s not law though, you also don’t have to write anything at all!
1. Because the only things that unexpectedly get posted through our letterboxes these days are either junk mail or bills. If you’re lucky, a Chinese takeaway menu2. Because the act of writing, sending, and receiving a postcard is a tactile experience –– and touch is lovely! Kissing, cradling a warm cup of tea, plucking grass = very nice and very lovely. Knowing that what you are holding was also touched by your friend, especially if that friend is far away = even lovelier :-)3. Because an excess of digital communication can make connection feel flat and this flatness only elongates distance4. Because surprises are still surprises even when they’re small. (Small ones are often the sweetest)5. Because when was the last time you sent one?
6. Because IG stories/texting/Snapchat (for the freaks) sometimes creates the expectation that we should reply quickly –– but we’re all too exhausted and far too accessible. Postcards can be an antidote to our constant interconnectedness7. Because the simple act of sending one is a way of saying “hello, hi, I thought about you today” without you even having to say so8. Because it offers a chance to truly sit with a feeling or a moment or a thought and put it to paper, which in turn teaches us how to wait, how to imagine, and how to be intentional9. Because you can spread some joy and send a card to a stranger via the r/RandomActsofCards community10. Because when was the last time you received one?
* If you’re procrastinating writing your postcard, use it as a coaster and let your coffee slightly spill down the sides -- the same goes for all food and drink really. Eat your jam on toast over the postcard, draw a little arrow to any bit that leaves a stain and write what flavour jam it was (Victoria plum: we should eat this together sometime! Come over for breakfast sometime?)* Spray a scent you’ve been wearing lately on the postcard or rub a mint leaf over the words* Put on lipstick and decorate the words on the page with kisses* Take the postcard with you to the shops, to the beach, to the club. Are there creases? Are the corners still intact?* Recount where the postcard has been and what stories it has to tell!
Or if you want to say a bit more than just hello, you could insert the postcard into an envelope and also:* Sneak in little souvenirs and goodies: a teabag, heart-shaped notes, a flattened chatterbox for them to unfold, or a secret that they can only reveal if they draw over the etchings in pencil* Go on a walk and find something from the ground that you can add to your envelope: a leaf, a blade of grass, petals, a discarded shopping list* Burn a CD and title it something fun, write the name in permanent marker across the front of the disk* Print off some photos you took this week. Again, excess digital consumption = too much flatness! Hold the moment in your hands
Now, go and retrouve/re-find that pen and paper!
― Amal El-Mohtar, This Is How You Lose the Time War
CONTACT: [email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHY: www.chloevlahos.com / @chloevphotoFOR PRINTS IN DIFFERENT SIZES CONTACT: [email protected]