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Kathie welcomes Faye Ziegeweid of Queen Fayzel to talk about the art of letter writing as a form of quiet rebellion against the fast-paced, digital-driven world. Both women share a love for handwritten notes and discuss how this seemingly simple act can foster connection and mindfulness.
Letter Writing as Resistance
Slowing Down: Faye emphasizes how letter writing resists the always-on, instant-reply culture. It invites slowness, deliberation, and solitude.
Intentional Communication: Unlike social media, letter writing lacks performance pressure. There’s no algorithm, autocorrect, or predictive text—just your words for someone you care about.
Personal Connections Through the Mail
Tactile Experience: Receiving and reading a handwritten letter is a sensory experience. Colored envelopes, stickers, and handwriting create joy and signal specialness.
Emotional Impact: A letter is a small gift—a pause in the daily rush to feel seen and remembered.
Sound Bite: “You know someone sat down, held a pen, and wrote your name. It just feels very different.”
Making It Doable
Start Small: Letters don’t need to be long. A few thoughtful sentences or even a clipping from a newspaper can be enough.
Low-Cost Ideas: Use magazine cutouts, thrifted stationery, junk mail envelopes, or even decorate plain paper with washi tape or doodles.
Practical Tip: Keep supplies (stamps, cards, pens) together in one drawer or box to make letter writing easy to start.
Building a Habit
Daily Routine Fit: Faye suggests pairing letter writing with existing routines—morning coffee, lunch breaks, or evening wind-downs. It takes under five minutes.
Non-Mutual Expectation: Letters don’t demand replies. Send one when you feel moved, without expectations.
Letter Writing as Activism
Civic Engagement: Letters can be used to contact representatives or support causes. Organizations like Vote Forward or Black & Pink connect people for letter-based advocacy and support.
Private & Empowering: In a monitored digital world, physical mail remains a private, secure way to communicate sensitive ideas.
Sound Bite: “It’s still a private form of communication… outside of mainstream power structures.”
Other Insights
Unexpected Cards Are the Best: Cards for life events, encouragement, or no reason at all can be the most meaningful.
No Pressure to Keep Everything: It’s okay to discard cards after reading. The value was in the act of sending and receiving.
Affordable Connection: A stamp costs less than a cup of coffee and carries more emotional weight.
Recommendation: Use one-stamp weight limits creatively: include teabags, bookmarks, or drawings to add delight without extra cost.
Letter writing is a gentle, intentional act of care that resists the pressures of modern technology. It creates deeper relationships, personal joy, and even social change. Kathie and Faye agree: just start, even if it’s a single sentence on a scrap of paper.