Last December, a friend of mine asked me if I had heard about artist's monthly snail mail clubs. I hadn't, but I sure was intrigued! Looking into it on Instagram, I quickly learned that there was a whole snail mail art world out there that I needed to be a part of. The concept of sending physical art-filled mail to subscribers resonates with me on so many levels.
I became an avid letter writer at the age of 9, when my family moved overseas. It was the beginning of many moves, and I kept in touch with all the friends I left behind by writing letters. Snail mail was a significant part of my life well into my twenties, until email took over. Tapping into the nostalgia of letter writing appeals to me in a big way. It's a connection to something I loved in the past, a lost art, replaced by the speed and convenience of technology. But the feeling of going to check your mail and finding a letter from a friend can not be replaced. Nor can the feeling of holding a letter in your hand that someone wrote for you. It's a personal connection, almost like you're holding a piece of the person who wrote it - a genuine human experience.
I love that letter mail gives people a reason to slow down, have a quiet moment in the day, and enjoy something tangible, more personal and connected. It's an opportunity to create something that people can look forward to each month, and that feels very special to me.
So, as much as I loved the idea, creating and running a monthly art mail club was an overwhelming thought. I had so many questions... how does one go about it? What kind of logistics are there? How do I create a subscription product on my website? How can I make money doing this? The questions were spinning in my mind, but my creative wheels were spinning even faster.
Over the winter, I researched, sourced, contemplated, planned, created, and essentially built my print club. I decided on a name, developed the logo, ordered a stamp, (that somehow made it official!), and started painting my first 4x6" coastal seascape dedicated to Tidemark. I ordered the prints, envelopes, stickers, and all the bits and pieces that I needed, and in mid March, ready or not, I launched! 🚀
For my first month, I thought I'd be lucky to get 10 subscribers. I got 25!!
I mailed my first issue of the Tidemark Print Club yesterday. I was simply giddy! My husband met me at the post office after work and helped make a video of me mailing them, (so I could do a post on instagram of course!)
Now it's time for me to get busy working on issue #2 of the Tidemark Print Club!
If receiving an art-filled envelope from my studio to your physical mailbox each month interests you, I invite you to join ! 💌