This is brilliant and so you. Thank you. You have inspired me to take the MyFrenchLife book Club #postcardexchange another step further. As a #bookclub we read the award winning French book 'The Postcard' by Anne Berest and translated by Tina Kover. A wonderful book about the history of a family during the extremely difficult years of WWII and the holocaust. A postcard was central to that story.
Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier and I developed a project where those members who were interested joined us in a postcard exchange.
I've taken the liberty of describing how it is working in the hope that you and even others may get involved to help me with my challenge.
We ended up with >60 participants from all over the world. I divided the member names into countries then I randomly matched names, for example those in France exchanged postcards with those in another country.
Each participant purchased two cards of something that reminded them of France (or if they lived in France - something they love about their location & why they live where they do) and explained to their exchange partner what and why the image reminded them of France... One card went to their partner and the second to me.
Postcards are still 'flying' across the world, as we move toward the end of this project.
The buying of the card, the hand writing of a note about a memory, and writing to a stranger, another francophile, has been very well received. And the excitement waiting for your partner card to arrive has been shared by many.
Memories have been shared and connections have been made in a visual and emotional manner.
I'm now facing the creative challenge of what I can do with
- >60 postcards/ images with postmarks
- more than 60 beautiful personal messages
- from francophiles in many different places and countries
- from males and females of different nationalities and backgrounds
- all strangers
- all of who are francophiles.
I pose this question and would be so grateful to receive your input.
What ideas do you have to round off this project in creative ways?
1. I've thought of a map with the location of each person marked, and
2. A map showing each pair of places marked like flight paths
3. A visual collage...
But I now throw this challenge to you and your readers to help me with more and more creative ideas.
I thank you in advance for helping me with what is already a beautiful project connecting strangers.
And once again Jane thank you for sharing your project...
WOW! Jane, that is brilliant. THAT's what we would call a Project Recipe, I have to say. I love the combination of media, handwriting, and craft. It would be a brilliant gift to set up a conversation pipeline between a curious 10 year old girl, for example, and an elderly grandmother. The subtle craft of putting things together, folding skill... there's so much to love here!
From this side of the Pacific, we use "Letter" size, so we'd be folding our own, so to speak...
I see this, however as a tremendous opportunity for innovation too. Imagine, for example, a Canva template to specify the fold, perhaps Pidgin-ed, you might say into letter size. Your own arrangement might pull in your own family photos. (Given the ink it would eat, by the way, this is hardly a savings... but that's a separate issue.) There are so many ways you could go with this. I love it. 🎉
Hello Jane.
This is brilliant and so you. Thank you. You have inspired me to take the MyFrenchLife book Club #postcardexchange another step further. As a #bookclub we read the award winning French book 'The Postcard' by Anne Berest and translated by Tina Kover. A wonderful book about the history of a family during the extremely difficult years of WWII and the holocaust. A postcard was central to that story.
Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier and I developed a project where those members who were interested joined us in a postcard exchange.
I've taken the liberty of describing how it is working in the hope that you and even others may get involved to help me with my challenge.
We ended up with >60 participants from all over the world. I divided the member names into countries then I randomly matched names, for example those in France exchanged postcards with those in another country.
Each participant purchased two cards of something that reminded them of France (or if they lived in France - something they love about their location & why they live where they do) and explained to their exchange partner what and why the image reminded them of France... One card went to their partner and the second to me.
Postcards are still 'flying' across the world, as we move toward the end of this project.
The buying of the card, the hand writing of a note about a memory, and writing to a stranger, another francophile, has been very well received. And the excitement waiting for your partner card to arrive has been shared by many.
Memories have been shared and connections have been made in a visual and emotional manner.
I'm now facing the creative challenge of what I can do with
- >60 postcards/ images with postmarks
- more than 60 beautiful personal messages
- from francophiles in many different places and countries
- from males and females of different nationalities and backgrounds
- all strangers
- all of who are francophiles.
I pose this question and would be so grateful to receive your input.
What ideas do you have to round off this project in creative ways?
1. I've thought of a map with the location of each person marked, and
2. A map showing each pair of places marked like flight paths
3. A visual collage...
But I now throw this challenge to you and your readers to help me with more and more creative ideas.
I thank you in advance for helping me with what is already a beautiful project connecting strangers.
And once again Jane thank you for sharing your project...
Warm regards
Judy
Oh, and... I just had a look at postcrossing! fabulous, and also a little similar to our #postcardexchange but on a wider scale.
So amazing Judy! Good on you!! Where do we start? I have lots of ideas! Perhaps we should chat soon?
A chat would be wonderful Jane, that's very generous of you.
I am however loathe to take up too much of your time. Let me know what might suit you.
Warm regards
Judy
I am interested in collaboration, Judy, if there are an opportunities for that. I will be back next week and perhaps we can set up a time after that?
Let’s chat on your return. I’m an ambassador of collaboration ;)
Merci
Loved your video Jane! The Family Story Conversation Starter Kit is such a great idea. Thanks!
WOW! Jane, that is brilliant. THAT's what we would call a Project Recipe, I have to say. I love the combination of media, handwriting, and craft. It would be a brilliant gift to set up a conversation pipeline between a curious 10 year old girl, for example, and an elderly grandmother. The subtle craft of putting things together, folding skill... there's so much to love here!
From this side of the Pacific, we use "Letter" size, so we'd be folding our own, so to speak...
I see this, however as a tremendous opportunity for innovation too. Imagine, for example, a Canva template to specify the fold, perhaps Pidgin-ed, you might say into letter size. Your own arrangement might pull in your own family photos. (Given the ink it would eat, by the way, this is hardly a savings... but that's a separate issue.) There are so many ways you could go with this. I love it. 🎉
Thank-you Barb... I am indeed working on it. More in the DM.
Many thanks Robin!