Was at Borders from 1-5pm (-cough- with Qihan one floor above me for 2 hours) and chanced by this book which I felt was really meaningful. Don't know how many of y'all have heard of it before but its an ongoing art project called Postsecret. Thinking of which, you've probably seen the video of Dirty Little Secret by the All American Rejects but never really knew about the project behind it (or that all the secrets there are actual submissions), so here goes.

"Like fingerprints, no two secrets are identical, but every secret has a story behind it"

Giving some background, Postsecret began as an art installation for Artomatic 2004 in Washington, D.C. Basically, Frank Warren started the project by printing 3,000 postcards inviting people to share a secret. After recieving 100 secrets mailed back, the project spread and soon 150,000 secrets were being sent just under three years. From then on, people would mail their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard and send it in to an address in USA. Because there're no restrictions whatsoever, its pretty must just a form of expression to release something never said before. The Postsecret website was then created on January 1 2005 to showcase the various postcards sent it.

There's no way to access the archives, so if you want to read old entries you have to buy the book. Ayhow, after reading the published book with some of the artworks sent in, its just interesting how art can be used to somehow free the emotions felt. From criminal assaults to confessions and even hopes that never came true, I think the book just made me think alot. Just thinking, by writing all the secrets you never dared tell anyone, it inspires people to open up and face their fears and yeah. Really amazing how this project can bring about so much impact in the world.

Help, I have done it again
I have been here many times before
Hurt myself again today
And, the worst part is there's no-one else to blame

Be my friend
Hold me, wrap me up
Unfold me
I am small
and needy
Warm me up
And breathe me

The promotional video's here if you wish to find out more:


Even though the book I found was only in hardcover and kindof spent my entire weeks pocket money (it's $49.90, if I'm not wrong) on it, just felt that it was really worth the price. For those who just want to take a look at some of the postcards sent in, they also have a Postsecret Blog online where they publish recent postcards sent in. Also, there's the Postsecret Community which has the audio and video submissions from all over the world, and this album which I found on the net which has quite alot of the older postcards.

Taking a quote from an interview by Frank Warren, the purpose of the book was to give people "A place where the secrets they could not tell their friends and family would be treated with dignity in a non-judgmental way." Looking at the phenomenon that Postsecret has caused, it just brought across how virtual communities can be used for a different kind of conversation that can't be carried out in real life. And I think its just the courage that each person takes into writing about their past experience which they've furiously tried to bury in the past and just release it out. Each postcard somehow seems to gives the personw writing it a form of inner healing and its just amazing how through such a simple postcard that people learn to forgive themselves, move on and work their way to becoming better people.

There're alot of youtube videos posted about this project (if you'd just search Postsecret on it) and yep just thought it would be worth the visit especially during the holidays. Hopefully you'd find it as meaningful as I have found it to be. And just another postcard I thought was really meaningful before I end off this post.



"There are two kinds of secrets: those we keep from others and those we hide from ourselves"

Labels: Books