---
title: "Thoughts on Postcards"
emoji: 📯
date: 2022-10-21T09:50:19+01:00
audio: index.mp3
draft: false
tags:
  - postcards
---

I've long admired and played with [postcards](/tags/postcards). For me there's an art to every aspect of creating and sending them — designing, choosing, writing, drawing, doodling, stamping — each of which could stand books' worth of elaboration.

Art is, in my humble opinion, at its greatest when limitlessly exploring a limited space, and a postcards provide plenty of just this kind of freeing limitation. They can be heartfelt and genuine precisely _because_ they don't immediately invite a reply (unlike practically all other interpersonal communication), they invite novelty (like Mr. Bingo's hilarious [Hate Mail](https://mr.bingo/hate-mail-book/), or Lupi & Posavec's beautiful [Dear Data](http://www.dear-data.com/theproject)) _because_ they are so simple and (literally!) inflexible.

Even now I'm slowly building a microsite gallery for the postcards my friend Claire sends me whenever she travels. Every one of them contains just one message: "Shut up, JP" in the local language. I love them.

{{< postcard src="shutup-singapore.postcard" show="back front" >}}

I honestly think I'll always enjoy playing with postcards, in one form or another. If you'd ever like to tell me about your appreciation of them, a postcard you've seen or enjoyed receiving or sending, do reach out by email (I have a [standing invitation](/standing-invitation))! …and if you'd like to send me a postcard you only need write me an email and ask for my address.
