10,000 Postcards: Poetry & Photo Project

Basic To Know

Artist Project Vision

Being immersed in our natural world continues to be a BIG personal lifeline for my health and wellness. As many know in their hearts, witnessing and immersing ourselves within nature is both healing and grounding. Reflective writing also flows freely when surrounded by trees, flowers, fungi, soil, birds, and running water. Being a part of nature allows a calm and clarity to arise within. Outdoors is where the world opens up to our souls. The places we witness a shared consciousness within the beauty of the elements we are made from- air, water, light, minerals, and the infinite reflections of our human forms.

How You Can Support?

Here is where you might consider pledging your support of this 10,000 postcard project. What initially seems like a tall order, averages out to mailing 28 postcards per day for an entire calendar year. This scale of the project will create a routine to follow, a consistency to live by, and a scale that will pay off the financial obligations I have incurred during my recovery. In short, your individual support helps bring me a step closer to creating a clean slate while stepping into becoming the dream of becoming an artist.

What is the Suggested Donation?

The Pay What You Can Model continues to be the most fair, equitable, and justice-centered financial system available. The evolving collection of images, prose, and quotes are intended to arrive without a financial burden. Thus, the average suggested contribution is $6+ per postcard. If you are able to give more per postcard, you are furthering the support of my growth of editing skills, writing time, research journey, nature explorations, and creation of additional postcard designs. The physical hard cost is about $0.81, which includes postage and printing. Your investment in this project will support the travel, equipment, physical energy, digital editing, ordering, organizing, writing, and shipping process.

Order Examples:

Why Postcards?

Maybe you are a deltiologist, or a collector of postcards. Or maybe you see postcards as a way to communicate without screens, allowing a handwritten touch, and bringing a photograph physically and artistically come to life. Postcards are small (4"x 6" | 14.8 cm x 10.5 cm), easily shipped, relatively inexpensive to create, and a smaller ecological footprint compared to creating canvas, paintings, or larger scale prints.

— Marcus Aurelius (Meditations)

Recovery Support

With my ongoing 5+ years in recovery from alcohol use disorder, I am looking to more deeply connect with people away from my phone and through a snail mail based artistic expression, while highlighting some of Earth’s most intricate & detailed beauty. The level of expression will evolve over the next year, while being able to independently support myself in my 6th year of recovery and entering my 34th year of life.

Why Photo & Poem Postcards?

Thousands of stagnant images are currently living on digital memory cards scattered in drawers, glove compartments, and on hard drives. This 10,000 postcard project will uncover illuminations of vivid colors expressed by our fellow kin with a larger community. The photos will be printed, shared and accompanied by inspirational writing to create a greater depth of feeling and expression. By launching the Prose & Photo Postcard Project, the momentary capture of beauty in these places, plants, and perspectives will be witnessed by more of us, especially during the accelerating & chaotic state of the world.

How Do I Share My Order Details?

Just drop a note on the Google Form Link https://forms.gle/9L7fHeMugPsraTxB7, which will be sent after donation is received. On this form, you will indicate how many postcards you want to order and where to send each of them. The location can be different addresses to yourself, friends, family, or another important address of choice. You could note if there is a specific date you want any quantity mailed at a future time for a special occasion.

Pay It Forward Option

On the form, you can also mark "Pay It Forward" to elect to pass the financial contribution onto someone else unable to pay $6 per postcard. This "Pay it Forward" Fund will create a collection of cards to distribute to organizations who assist in the wellness of those also in recovery programs.

What will you receive & when?

First batch of cards will be sent in November 2023, after the design, printing, and edits are finalized. You will then receive a handwritten postcard in the mail. The images will be from slow, patient, and moments of exploration in nature. The date, time, and location along with identification of plants, experiences, etc. will be noted when available. Examples of photos include a snapshot on a morning hike in a tallgrass prairie, an afternoon walk in and oak savannah, or an evening exploration to a public botanic garden.

— Walt Disney

What Will These 10,000 Postcards Lay the Foundation For?

The Whole Earth Book Network, or the (WEB): Connecting ideas, people, and organizations to pave the way to become the world our hearts know is possible. This WEB Network site is currently in its early development stage. As the WEB grows, threads of wisdom will be woven to create a quilt we all carry in our souls. The postcards will end up highlighting art from many WEB writers, musicians, songwriters, breeders, spiritual teachers, and more.

Additional Ways to Support Outside GoFundMe:

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/WallyGraeber

https://cash.app/$WallyGraeber

https://account.venmo.com/u/WallyGraeber

Flower Postcard Image Examples:

Marigold | French Variety

Rose (Rosa Escapade)

Unknown

Mexican Sunflower | Tithonia rotundifolia

Dahlia | Hypnotica Icarus

Dahlia | Neo Dinnerplate

Japanese thimbleweed

Teddy Bear Sunflower

Purple Coneflower

Coreopsis 'Tickseed' | Goldenrod soldier beetle

Yarrow

Coreopsis 'Uptick'

Daylilly: Big Time Happy Variety | Hemerocallis

Marsh Mallow Plant | Althaea officinalis

Clematis

Autumn windflower | Japanese anemone

Hibiscus | Hibiscus syriacus