You might not know this about me, but I make miniature envelopes.
I’ve been trying to estimate how many I may have made in my life. I’m not great with numbers—I think this might be an example of my lifelong small picture vs big picture struggle. Numbers always seem to belong to big picture thinking and I’ve never mastered that. I feel like I’m really comfortable with getting close and intimate with details. But stepping back, trying to see the wholeness of something, that’s never come easily to me.
(Incidentally, I’m trying to work on this. Can one learn to see and interact with the world entirely differently at the age of 37? Serious question.)
But to go back to the number of miniature envelopes I’ve made in my life. I think it’s got to be somewhere in the 2,000-4,000 range. If not more? Wild to think about, to comprehend something like that. I make the envelopes out of old discarded library books, old magazines, fun origami papers, wrapping papers, and old picture books. Most recently, I took apart Sister Wendy’s 1000 Masterpieces and made some truly excellent female rage envelopes, among many other, less ragey envelopes, of course.
Typically, I do one of two things with the envelopes I make:
One, I put them together in what I call Nesting Notes bundles and sell them at craft fairs. Since I make the envelopes in 6 different sizes, I treat them kind of like matryoshka dolls all nestled inside each other. I just measured and the smallest envelope I (currently) make is about .5x.75 inches. Don’t worry, I’ll probably get bored and start making one even smaller soon.
The other thing I like to do with my envelopes is put them in a tin (usually Altoid-sized) and offer them to friends and strangers I meet out in the world.
This is my favorite thing to do with the envelopes. I open my tin and say, “pick one, whichever one appeals to you,” then when they pick and read the message inside, I usually add, “if the message isn’t for you just pass it on to someone else.”
I’ve given envelopes to people in all the places I’ve been since I started making them. There are strangers in California who have my envelopes. People in Boston, NYC, Buffalo, all over Vermont and New York, Western Mass, Florida. There are also people I’ve mailed envelopes to—some as far away as Australia.
(Another aside, this just really points out to me that I need to travel more and give the envelopes to people in more places).
I love giving people envelopes. And I love the magic of not knowing which message anyone will receive. In a way, it’s kind of like tarot decks or my own decks. The randomness of it all introduces a new element that might somehow and in some magical way, change a person’s day.
Currently, I probably have about 18 rubber stamps with quotes and phrases on them in the 6 different sizes. So far they all are affirmations, quotes, and simple instructions like “Dance”.
But I think it’s time to order new rubber stamps in a more playful vein. A silly, bizarre, random vein. And so this is my question for you—
What sort of message would you want to give a stranger? Or a friend? Someone you meet on the subway, your lover, your waiter, your mother, the person beside you at the bar?
I’ve been asking around and thinking hard and here are some of the ideas I’ve come up with and been given by others. Bear in mind that since the envelopes are different sizes, I need different lengths of written material to fit in each one. And also, remember that I’m trying to be silly but also somehow meaningful at times. For example, the biggest envelope’s notecard could simply be stamped with a short instruction with the rest of the space left blank for the receiver or the giver to fill out.
You are fire
It was lovely looking into your eyes today
Soft is strong
Woke or joke?
Trust that feeling
SLAY, QUEEN
I love you
This is the beginning of something great
Do it next Tuesday!
I just wanted to tell you …
You make me happy
Wait and see
Who knows?
Feelings change
Let thoughts have themselves
Vibe check
Insanely hot
There are no mistakes
Do the thing
The secret of the universe is
Everyone wonders who they are
Climb a hill
Take this as a sign
You haven’t reached the end yet
Be here now
All signs point to snacks
Oh wow these are great! I vote for:
I just wanted to tell you …
You make me happy
Wait and see
Who knows?
Feelings change
There are no mistakes
Do the thing
Take this as a sign
You haven’t reached the end yet
Be here now