On self doubt

Oh hey. I have illustrated a children's book! It's called Grandad and the Baby Dolphin, and was written by the very talented Wendy Milner. The book will come out in November this year, and you can find out more (or pre-order a copy) here.

I am simultaneously proud and embarrassed to share these pictures with you.

Self doubt is a funny thing, isn't it. You do your very best and at some level (an important level!) you are proud of what you have done. And then on the other hand you look at your own work and then you look at what everyone else is doing and suddenly you feel like a complete fraud. Not to mention a failure.

Sound familiar? I feel like maybe crippling self-doubt is the default position of creatives. And by "creatives" I mean anyone who steps out into the public with something they have made: writers, artists, entrepreneurs, researchers... you name it. We all question ourselves, our abilities, our capacity, all the time but especially at the eleventh hour.

I have to fight my self-deprecating instincts as I share these illustrations with you. I hold myself up against the pantheon of talented, experienced illustrators in the children's book-publishing world and frankly I feel absurd.

Last week when Wendy said "We are finished!" and sent me a digital proof of the book, I vibrated with pride all evening. I kept looking through the images and reading them alongside her wonderful story and I felt as though together, we had created something really special.

That lasted for several hours, until I went to bed.

Then I closed my eyes and, immediately in my imagination, the whole world sat in a stadium, me alone and spotlit on a field way below, and everybody bellowed "WHO ARE YOU to think you could illustrate ANYTHING?" I am a writer, not an artist, and my sleepy self knew it. So did everybody else. "DERIVATIVE," the World shouted from the stands, "NAIVE." And "BORING" and "UNIMAGINATIVE" and "AMATEUR."

But do you know what? Get thee behind me, Naomi's Imagination World. I, like so many creative people before me and so many more to come, am going to own what I have made, and own it with pride. Wendy's prose is flawless. Her story is beautiful, and engaging, and entertaining, in all the right parts. I told it to my children for the first time a little while ago, holding up my paintings as I went along, and their simple response at the end was, "Again?"

And I am an illustrator. There, I will say it. I am a children's book illustrator, and I am lucky enough that my first book illustration project was for something as special as this beautifully-written tale of love and family and caring and joy.

I bet you are creative, too. Do you struggle to own it, trust it, believe in it? What should you be proud of today?

All your thoughtful words

During the past month or so I have been chipping away at the photography for my new book (which is going by the working title Snail Mail Revolution, by the way, but that might change). I want the book to be really beautiful, something that you will want to hold and touch and browse through slowly. It is really important to me to avoid having something that looks like a glorified stationery catalogue.

When I put a call out to you guys to tell me what you loved about snail-mail, what you felt made it so very special, your responses were absolutely amazing. Thank you!

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you!

So many of you encapsulated PERFECTLY how I felt about this ancient and evergreen way of staying in touch (take a look at this wonderful quote from Selise, for example). People loved snail-mail because it was so intensely personal, a direct conversation between two people, thoughts written by hand, their rethinking exposed in crossed-out words and margin notes. And because it was slow, a return to mindfulness and patience and the art of waiting for something worth waiting for. Many people loved that letters were tangible, something they could touch and smell and see. There was more said, so much more, and it was beautiful. But you will have to wait for the book to read it all!

All your thoughtful words really helped me when it came to planning the photography, and I was really keen to capture the essence of what you were saying. To my mind, the photographs needed to evoke some kind of emotion, to tell a story. The sense of occasion that comes, for example, with opening and reading a letter from someone you love. Or the thoughtfulness that goes along with sitting down to write a letter. Do you know what I'm trying to say? Is this making sense?

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen the images on this post popping up during the past couple of weeks. They are outtakes and behind-the-scenes shots of what I've been trying to create. I hope you like them. I'm really happy with how this book is all coming together!

Do you need a reason to write a letter?

Just popping back in for a moment to let you know about an exciting, not-for-profit campaign that's running right now, to inspire people to start writing more letters. It's called Write_On, and everyone who gets involved makes a promise to write 30 letters in 30 days, during the month of April. It's a fun kind of group event, with everyone supporting each other and swapping ideas and sharing inspiration.

The idea started with Tess Darrow, founder of letterpress company Egg Press. “As the owner of a greeting-card company, I wanted to experience, first-hand, the benefits of a regular practice of writing cards,” she told me. “Letter writing is something that I enjoy, but often forget to do.”

The timeline went something like this.

April 2014: Tess set herself the challenge of writing 30 letters in 30 days, and some of her colleagues at Egg Press and at another letterpress company Hello!Lucky decided to join her. They invited the broader community to take part, and in the end they gave away 2000 free "kits" of letterpress cards to help people get started

April 2015: Word spread about Write_On and thousands more people joined in. Also joined by Sakura of America (makers of the gelly roll pen!), Tess and her friends sent out more than 5000 free letter-writing kits

April 2016: It's almost time! This year, they plan to send out 10,000 free kits to help encourage another 10,000 people to write letters to the people they love (or like or appreciate), but they need our help to make it happen.

They've launched a campaign on Indiegogo to raise the money to do this, and so much more. Depending on how much money they raise, here are the very exciting goals (in ascending order):

* with $15,000 raised, they'll send out all 10,000 kits, shipped internationally if needed * with $20,000 raised, they'll also support and equip 20 retailers around the US to host letter-writing events * with $40,000 raised, they'll do all of the above, plus bring Write_On to five schools to inspire the next generation, including supplying writing materials, and * with $60,000 raised, they'll reach more schools, keep things running all year round, and even go global!

As with all these sorts of crowd-funding campaigns, there are perks for every level of support. That's everything from stationery to tote bags and, because the organisers are talented letterpress artists, everything is super beautiful. Personally I am going a little bit crazy for the letter-writing-prompts calendar I've shared below. It is such an amazing idea!

Today I ordered groceries online and then they got knocked back because there wasn't enough money in our account, which is not only embarrassing but also annoying because I really wanted to make Lebanese bread pizzas tonight. My point being I can't afford to donate yet BUT there are three days left of this fundraiser (people! only three days left!!) and assuming the pay comes in on time, I am definitely going to support this wonderful campaign that is inspiring people all over the world to pick up a pen and write to someone.

"By donating, you're contributing to our goal of shifting Write_On from a passion project to a cultural movement" they say on the campaign page.

Which is rather special, don't you think?

Image credit: all images from the Write_On Indiegogo campaign page

News eek!

“Snail-mail will always be a personal gesture. It can’t help it. Think about it. Someone’s hand held the pen that wrote those words. Their finger ran along the flap on the back of the envelope, sealing it down. And then you hold that same letter in your hands, days later. After it has passed through a couple of post offices, a mail room and the gloved hand of a postie. Stark, blank-eyed words on a screen have got nothing on that.” - Selise McLaggan (loverssaintsandsailors.com)

Drumroll please... I finished the first draft of my snail-mail book last night! Just popping in to share that news because, as it turns out, I'm quite proud!

There will be loads more edits and reworks and a photoshoot to go yet, so it won't be out any time soon, but finishing an ENTIRE draft of a book is still something to celebrate, I think.

Back soon! Naomi xo

ps. I will be scattering "quotes about snail-mail" like the fantastic one from Selise above throughout the book, so if you still want to contribute, please feel free (I'd love it!). The details are here

Image credit: photo is by Joanna Kosinska, licensed for unlimited use under Creative Commons

Are you waiting on mail from me?

I’m working on it, I promise! Please refer to the above picture, taken early this morning, as evidence.

It’s been a long time since I made a link post, so I thought I’d share some lovely discoveries from around and about the Internet today.

* Chicken lays an egg * People switch on light bulbs * Hobbit houses!  * Books in a car * Man talks to himself, across decades * Beautiful plant vessels * New York in the 1980s * Are we there yet? * Loving this haunting song * Another homemade white bread recipe * Ice cream crawl! Anyone want to do one of these with me in Melbourne?

Work and life

Right now I’m supposed to be working. It’s Saturday afternoon and the sun is shining and everybody else in my family packed up the car early this morning and went out for the day.

Scout was sobbing her heart out. “Why – hic - do you want – hic – us to gooooooo?” she wailed. It was heart wrenching. Like I ever want her to go. Like I would ever happily sacrifice precious weekend family time to sit alone in my windowless office (a converted wine cellar / cupboard) to type words for somebody else.

(Also, I just made raisin toast and when it popped up one of the pieces of toast actually sailed into the air and onto the floor... and I buttered and ate it anyway. That's how pathetic I am today.)

But bills gots to be paid. I’ve turned in two deadlines out of the three I needed to complete today, but I’m running out of steam. I’ve got to do it. I’ve just GOT to. Otherwise, what was the point of making that little girl cry? Right. Back to work for me. I just wanted to check in with you so I didn’t feel so… alone. I hope your Saturday is better than mine.

Sometimes being a freelance writer and working from home is amazing. Other times, no. No, no, no.

Image credit: Anda Ambrosini, licensed for unlimited use under Creative Commons

Dusk & stuff

As I write this the dusk is settling over Melbourne on what was an absolutely glorious summer’s day. We have just returned from a lazy stroll out for family dinner, and then home to put two very tired kids into bed, wiping chocolate ice cream from their faces and hands (and necks and elbows) and not even bothering with baths. I’ll wash the sheets tomorrow. Le sigh.

I am sitting at the dining table typing while Mr B sits opposite me signing letters for work, and he is looking very smug because he has just found a channel on the Internet radio called “Always Elvis Radio.” Lord give me strength.

Next to me is a pile of research for my snail-mail book, and some wonderful interviews with amazing “mail heroes” that I need to write up, plus a fantastic tutorial on how to make envelopes from magazine pages, without using a template.

Also I’m intermittently flicking through my Internet browser because I’m half way through researching a particularly interesting “fact” about mail that I need to verify before I share and expand on it in the book. Also, I am reading Tavi Gevinson’s earliest blog posts (she is only 11) and they are fascinating! She is so small and sweet and vulnerable but also so smart, and it’s really interesting watching this little girl trying to find her way in life through fashion and the fashion-blogging community, knowing how she and her writing will grow and where it will take her and all of us…

All in all this has turned into a rather pleasant but not particularly focused evening, and then I figured why not spread my attention even further afield, and write to you.

So this is just a little letter to say hello to you, dear friends known and unknown, to say thank-you for reading this little blog of mine. I hope you are having a lovely evening, too.

Naomi xo

ps. Mr B and Emily just went out onto the grass verge at the front of our house to play Uno, so I have taken the opportunity turn OFF Always Elvis Radio, and the silence is golden.

GOLDEN.

Image credit: pug pic by Matthew Wiebe, licensed for unlimited use under Creative Commons

Final call to be in my book

Last call, folks, if you want to be in my book! (I hope you do. Please do!)

I've almost finished the first draft, and the research has been so much fun. For anyone who doesn't know, my book is about all the quirky, creative and kind things people are doing (and YOU can do) with snail mail these days.

I've interviewed mail heroes like Rin from Papered Thoughts, founder of Mail Me Art Darren Di Lieto, and artist and zine-maker (and person behind the one-and-only Parcel Ghost) Marissa Falco. I introduce you to an honest-to-goodness fairy post office hidden in a forest; a postcard-related art project that has gone global; places to find pen-pals and join creative mail-swaps; a professional letter-writer; a hidden, stamp-related game on a city's streets; museum exhibits that write letters to visitors; a Rube Goldberg postcard machine; and a modern take on the secret language of stamps. There are more than 100 stories and heroes and resources and ideas in the book, and every single one of them includes inspiration, guidance or links so that YOU can get involved, too.

The book is going to be visually stunning, as I've partnered with a bit of a "secret weapon" photographer and we are in the process of planning everything out. If reading all the stories and ideas in this book doesn't inspire you to pick up a pen and write a letter to Nanna, the photography will.

I want to pepper the book with thoughts and quotes from anyone and everyone who loves snail mail, and that's where you come in!

If you would be so good as to answer the following questions and send them to me, I'll try to put you in the book! (You can be anonymous if you want to, or you can share your name and your blog or ONE social media profile if you'd like to be found by the people reading my book). Just email your answers to one or both of these questions to me at nabulger (at) gmail (dot) com, using the subject heading modern_mail so you don't get lost in the spam folder:

* In this age of digital technology, what's so special about snail mail?

* Who should you write a letter to today, and why?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Yours truly, Naomi xo

Happy Mail Day

∧∧ To welcome us into the new week, I thought I'd share some beautiful mail that I've been receiving lately. Like this "Happy Mail Day" mail-art postcard.

∧∧ And this amazing mail from Yam in Spain, a real life postmistress. Believe it or not, this is the first mail I've ever received from an actual postal worker and that made Yam a bit of a celebrity for me!

Also, she designed her mail-art to work with the stamp, which was an art design by artist Eduardo Chillida, who she also quoted on the back.

∧∧ Then there were these adorable, handmade ceramic magnets from my accidental pen pal (i.e. we became pen pals by accident) Selise from style blog Lovers, Saints & Sailors. Selise is a writer and people who don't pay her to write SHOULD pay her to write because she writes the best letters. Hands down. The BEST.

∧∧ Another friend I recently made online is Micu, who sent this seriously amazing bounty of beautiful mail ephemera all the way from Budapest. Those stamps!

∧∧ THOSE stamps! Micu runs a sweet blog called Mail a Smile, galvanising strangers to send mail-art to people who are sick or sad or stressed or for any other reason, need a smile. That's pretty special, don't you think?

ps. Right now as I type this I am watching a TV show about Tiny Houses. It is so fascinating. Would you ever consider this?

Mail art ("two days later, someone laughs somewhere else in the world")

"I think I became a writer because I used to write letters to my friends, and I used to love writing them. I loved the idea that you can put marks on a page and send it off, and two days later, someone laughs somewhere else in the world." David Nicholls (author & screenwriter)