What is guaranteed to us in life?
After I sent out a newsletter earlier this year, containing an invitation to take part in the DIY Postcard Swap that I host, I got the usual flood of people signing up and a few check-ins from people asking if their information had reached me – but also an email from someone who has never participated, that wrote an email with a question that is not in the FAQ (which is hard to come up with these days, because I think I have answered almost every repeat question there), but also, one I had never thought about answering before. It was this:
“I sometimes spend hours making my creations. Can it be guaranteed that I won’t get something in return that looks like someone spent 2 minutes making it?”
I was so baffled by this email, that did not start with a hello and did not end with a name or any kind of greeting, that it took me a couple of days to even formulate a response. My answer is below, a quick and maybe too harsh of a reply, but I couldn’t help it. Email is not a chat, we do not know each other, I don’t owe you anything, and I probably will never understand where such a crazy question comes from, but since I was asked I thought about the question and sent a, as polite as I could muster, reply.
But I can’t stop thinking about this question. What is guaranteed to us, if anything? Indeed, I have been mulling this question over a lot since I received it and when I can’t get something out of my head I write about it. So indulge me today. I wanted to write a little bit about not the content and style of the email, haha, but the question at hand:
What is guaranteed to us in life – really? At least that would be the question I would want to throw back out there today.
Will you only buy a novel if you already know you will enjoy its content, the characters and the plot equally? What guarantees do you ask for from the author, the publisher and the salesclerk at your book store before your commit to bringing a new book home to read? A written contract that the author really put the time in, and if so, is that really a guarantee that you will love it? It might still not be for you, or it might be a great read but not a novel you’ll want to keep for ever… But what if it’s a new favorite? A book to fall in love with and re-read many times? It might change your life if you give it a try, right?
There are no guarantees, but isn’t it still worth checking out new authors and books if you are a reader? There are whole worlds to discover within them, so go ahead and bring home shiny new books and dive into them – you will find the gems a lot quicker if you do this. Dare to try!
Do you only give gifts and kind words if it is guaranteed that your gifts will be reciprocated? That you will be loved back? That the receiver will be thankful and smile, and say thank you – and that you yourself will be gifted something of equal value? I fear for the mental health of your grandchildren! If you know they’re too young to buy you a gift, will you hold yours back for a couple of years?
What guarantee is there that the party you are invited to will be awesome, or the job you take will feel rewarding, or the text you write will be read at all? That the person you say “I love you” to will feel the same or say the right words back?
Do you also not try new things when you are creating your art? And if that is so, were you never a beginner at your craft? How do you learn new stuff? Is there a guarantee that we will all love your style just because you spend time on it?
What art is ever measured in time spent making it instead of how it looks when we encounter it? Working artist will tell you that “the time spent” painting can’t even be measured in hours, because it takes years to learn the craft and find your own style. And with the swap I’ve always felt that beginners should be welcome too, because getting beautiful happy mail back is also a way of learning. And whom of us can guarantee anything? I can’t imagine being that kind of person at least…
Something to ponder for the fearful and brave, right?
My email reply, in case you were dying of curiosity. It sounded something like this:
Hi anon lady,
I am not really sure how to respond to your question, because I can not judge what your art is worth to you, or know how you judge other’s artful creations. If you do not wish to take the chance by participating, that is your choice and probably, judging by your question, this is not a swap for you.
I do not judge the handmade postcards on how long it took to make it, or on skill level, education or effort. I welcome everyone who wants to put themselves out there and share what they make. I hope that the many hundreds of participants throughout the years have done and will keep doing the same- :-)
All the best to you,
kind regards
/Hanna
I shared a small portion yesterday of the many amazing DIY postcards I’ve gotten as an example – and during the anniversary I got one hundred postcards and they’re all beautiful to me.
If you would like to take the leap, daring to trust strangers to be responsible for their own time and creative process – the postcard swap is open to YOU:
You might also be interested in:
