by Joanne Gilbert of Drawn to Letters

We’re finishing the first steady week of January and I thought you might need some inspiration to write those thank you notes for holiday gifts and good times hosted. Then Jessika asked what inspired my own work at Drawn to Letters and I realized the two were related.

I adore a hand drawn line! A pencil or brush moving across paper creates a lively effect physically reflecting texture and slight nuances of pressure or speed in the hand. It is like listening to music or having a conversation. Hand drawn lines are familiar and unpredictable at the same time. When I see a hand drawn image I feel personally involved.

Unlike uniform digital paths, hand drawn lines add emotion and “character”. It is this extra bit of hand drawn character that I strive to keep in my work no matter how lighthearted or simple the subject. In a world of crisp bright graphic design it makes me feel like I am really celebrating individuality and making personalized memories for others.

So that brings me to the other subject for this post, those highly individual kids in all their post holiday happiness! Have they written their thank you notes yet? I know if you here you are already a believer in hand made things and perhaps own personalized stationery; but actually writing thank you notes is sometimes not an easy task to model or manage. In case you have traded felt tips for fonts and digital phones, I am going to remind you of 4 reasons why hand written notes are the best little exercise you can do in this new month and then sweeten the reasons for getting started!

1. It teaches appreciation for others. (bonus gift – does not come with individual new child!)
2. An imperfect hand written note will be treasured and revisited many times. (They usually out live the gift that was given.) How many of you have saved notes penned by children who are grown or your grandparents who no longer can write to you? Yup. Me too.



It is inspiring how that handwriting conveys more than the message; it’s like being right there in the moment with that person again.

3. It teaches eye-hand coordination that is different from keyboarding! Did you know that most college students have difficulty with handwriting their own signature?
4. It builds personal pride and fun to choose a paper, pen the words, then seal, stamp and post. (Who knows, you may get a letter or phone call back! )

If you would like some personalized notes to get your child started, there are many contributors here or on Etsy to serve your style and needs. I have 6 pks. of any letter or you can mix & match art by clicking here for a truly personalized set of note cards. You can also go bananas with my free printable Thanks a Bunch cards.

From my hand to yours –