The beauty of the handwritten word is an art that has rapidly faded from the minds of today’s battery and caffeine-powered crowds. If you were to ask people about the last letter they wrote, we’re pretty sure it would probably date back to their classroom days where the topic was set and the only thing they were after was better grades. But somewhere between that neatly penned fictitious address and the final ‘yours sincerely’ there was no tribute to the true effect a personalised letter can have. But all is not lost! The trend is slowly coming back into vogue and the person heading the charge is Sumedha Sah with The Snail Mail Project - a gorgeous fusion of the art of design and letter writing.
Sumedha is a self-taught artist who grew up in the charismatic hill station of Nainital. The pristine forests and unblemished nature around her eventually became a huge part of her inspiration. She began to draw and observe at an early age and that habit has stayed with her ever since. The idea of a sustainable world intrigued her and she decided to carry that fascination forward by pursuing a Masters degree in Sustainable Architecture. “I have a keen interest in the transformation of relationship between man and nature and my work moves between architecture, illustration and art,” says Sumedha.
Her letter-writing hobby also developed early in life - her father and her would exchange monthly letters sharing news, stories and even poems. It also became a habit to preserve old letters and collect the stamps. What started as a form of communication grew to be a beloved hobby and Sumedha soon came to a new conclusion “As I grew up I realised that I could express myself better with art more than by any other means,” she tells us. This only fuelled her love for writing and spurred her to revive its popularity.
She set up the Project in an effort to connect and collaborate with people, and exchange thoughts and ideas with strangers. Anyone can write her a letter and in return she’ll draw them an original illustration and pen an accompanying note. She began to conceptualise it over a year ago but when it finally took shape it wasn’t that much of a surprise, as she says, “The idea of receiving something tangible from a stranger’s world excited me and I combined it with my love for letter writing and illustration. So, it was perhaps simply the result of all that I adore.” Even in the short time it’s been around, it has gathered quite a fan following and she’s already receiving letters from Poland, Turkey, Singapore, Hong Kong, U.S.A, U.K, and of course, every corner of India.
While every letter she receives is a special memento, she especially cherishes the ones that explore the writer’s personal ideas and thoughts, giving her a bit of insight into the stories people have to tell. One particular standout, she recalls, was a letter from a student at the University of Chicago who had been in Mumbai for a year working on sanitation and waste management for the International Innovation Corps. Janey wrote of one of the simplest and most overlooked pleasures the country has to offer, chaiwallahs. She told Sumedha of the comfort she felt when she could leave work after a long day working with waste and look forward to a hot, sweet glass of chai. Sumedha marvelled at how the letter and the accompanying illustrations of chai glasses brought a new magic to something so mundane. “To me it was beautiful how such a small thing can encompass so much meaning in life.” She could see the world through someone else’s eyes and that’s an aspect of letter writing she hopes to teach more people through her project.
She believes that although email and technology are convenient, the art of letters and letter writing can never be replaced. Her passion for the process is apparent in the way she talks. “A handwritten letter is immensely powerful; its value lies not only in its permanence but also in the fact that it helps us connect with our minds,” she says. “Letter writing is personal and requires our undivided attention, it forces us to live in the present moment and contemplate our thoughts and ideas without other distractions. There is something deeply humane about putting pen to paper. Letters and postcards remain to be read, appreciated and preserved years after they have been written.” Listening to her conviction, it’s hard to imagine that we are well on the way to losing this precious piece of history, and hopefully, the Snail Mail Project is the first step towards its revival.
If you want to participate in the Snail Mail Project and receive a hand drawn illustration in return you can write to her on theumbrellabar@gmail.com.
Image Credits: Tanya Prasad