Category Archives: Post’d (cards + letters)

postcards, letters, aerogrammes… making, writing, assembling, stamping, mailing and everything related

Postal services as neural networks #Ukraine

From Ukraine to Japan, somehow. #Peace

The postal services of the world create a magnificent neural network of sorts – dispatches leaping across borders, bypassing squabbles and avoiding incidents // due to creative time-tested systems and intrepid workers.

Post’d: surface transport (distant lands)

Some countries still don’t have air mail connections with Japan at this time, so, sending a letter envelope by surface post… Wonder how long it will take to find its destination? Hope this envelope has it sea legs.

Avast ye envelope

All together dispatches today went to Sri Lanka, India, and the usual, Japan, USA and Canada.

Post’d: 3 views (pleasure & bizness)

Three views of mailing a letter (one for business, one for pleasure) and the broken vending machine on the walk to the box.

Item (by post): Rick Rubin’s “The Creative Act” book + *wondering how to turn off*

Rick Rubin’s book arrived, in glorious hard cover. Lovely design and I’m sure full of goodness.

If I had my head together, I would give you a list of all these great recent interviews, including with Neil Young, Malcolm Gladwell and dozens of others – each one better than the last…

Plus a list of albums he produced (but you probably already know that), and namecheck that show he did with Paul McCartney where he deconstructs and unpacks stories songs which are so familiar in genial black-and-white goodness… however, im busy wearing my s3xy robot maid outfit tidying up the kitchen and just taking a break so you’re on your own

It’s a “creative act” after all.

[update, a few notes]:

In brief:

Note: it’s meditations, prompts, thoughts and musings about creativity… What it is, how to harness it, how to block out noise and negativity and do your own thing – and why all of that matters.

Note: super wise and for “real musicians” and sound engineers, he can come off as a bit of a edge case because he’s not technical in any sense… Has produced dozens of important albums but doesn’t really run a sound/mixing desk, doesn’t read music or play instruments per se but has an ability to bring out the vibe, push artists further into their work and produce something somewhat unexpected but somehow just right (usually).

His conversations with Neil Young are particularly good… Just listened to a Longform conversation with Iggy Pop as well and watch the series he did with Paul McCartney where he deconstructs Beatles/wings songs

Here’s a great overview of the book from the podcast Rick does with Malcolm Gladwell. In this case, appropriately, Malcolm interviewing Rick about the book.

Note: If you’re really curious… Here’s an extended conversation between renegade history pod maker Dan Carlin and Rick Rubin spanning all sorts of topics in and around his book but with numerous digressions, diversions and riffs

It’s not a “how to” or technical book.

Since I’m here,

Real question for “obsessive creative latent perfectionist” types:

How do you let go of the feeling of wanting to be doing all the time? How do you set aside creative ambitions and ‘turn off’?

I try to find balance & take long baths but always want to be “making” something.

{noted from bed #MECFS crash recovery mode – and yes, being in bed is the best place for me to be to recover from recent activities as the most important thing in my life is to take care of myself so I can be a good hubbo and pappa… So there’s that, just wanna wanna wanna…}

Festive Greetz Cards Scrapbook Time (backwards)

In front of a wood stove, Dave stashes cards from the “string of honour” into archival book while recounting tales of the wonderful folks who sent greeting cards and letters to Tsuchida Cottage.

Very grateful for your friendship and lovely correspondence.

Along with banter about:

* having several scrapbooks on-the-go at all times

* special collections and on-going correspondence

* topsy turvy start to the year

* “lap projects” like mending and scrapbooking

* thoughts about last year (lots of paperwork!)

* theme for this year (letting go)

and usual digressions, meanderings and anecdotes (i.e. hanging stereo speakers and maybe something about solar panels). Oh, there is a Dymo LabelMaker in action.

Very grateful for your friendship and lovely correspondence.

Meanwhile I’m trying to tidy up the room a little bit so here are albums of postcards/greeting cards etc., duly annotated by Dymo label.

PS if I’ve missed sharing your card I probably shared under separate cover / somewhere else, or will do another time (thinking of you Astrid in Germany who’s art is already hanging up).

Item by Poste: photo zines from Art Island Naoshima

Photo book and photo zine by Andrew McCormick (@a.d.mccormick IG, @a_d_mccormick Tw) curator/wrangler of Art Island Center (@artislandcenter IG) on nearby Naoshima – one of the several art islands in the Seto inland sea.

you can order “perfect is unnerving

Both have lovely production value, engaging content, and so great to support a really important and interesting project (with which I would love to collaborate eventually.

Update, here are the actual field notes that came in the bundle

(hard for me to get out to the islands as much as I would like to due to the #MECFS but the fact that so much art goodness is available scattered around charming little islands, simply *exists* and that when friends come to visit, I know they can head out there easily / warms my wee heart)

i also ordered some Drapin Field Notes notebooks which arrived in the lovely packet.

not this one specifically, just one from the stash from years ago

PS i have a post waiting to share about this island but for now visit David Billa‘s Setouchi Explorer & you can order “perfect is unnerving” you get a free gift & free shipping (Japan/US).

Post’d: new year mail-outs / postal odds and ends (& what happens next)

A well decorated special new year dropbox at a post office on a quest with my buddy Mac

“Good news” is over 300 pieces of postal mail dispatched the last 4-5 weeks. Mostly postcards but also bunch of special packets (some were far overdue) + typed (poorly) a few long letters – still a few more on my list and then have to pause / slow down for a while.

One of the batches, heading out internationally with some fantastic (specially ordered) 70¥ stamps, celebrating an anniversary of Japan and France, postal relations, along with air mail seals (and a CD received from a friend in Fukushima)
On a drive to visit an arborist colleague, in another town, spotted a couple post boxes from the car, and just couldn’t resist myself since we were at a red light, seemed like fate
There was a lot of red ink, stamping, because well of course we have our own “year of the rabbit” stamps, so wore out the previous red ink pad (which I really really liked) and ordered a new one, yeah it’s really the big time
Have acquired at least a dozen free calendars and placed each appropriately throughout the house, and in this case, in the kura (to be clear, there’s also one in the carport/workshop)
Of course, this dude was helping out with the stamping
Along with the “usual” high volume of standard New Year’s cards, were a few special dossiers, sent to folks needing a little spark, due to being shut, ins, hospitalized, suffering, loss, or otherwise did something very special. an opportunity to share some of my little arts and crafts to maybe inspire others.
Though our dear rabbit Maru-chan is featured on the new year card – because of course it is “year of the rabbit” – sadly, my design skills squished him in and he was often covered by a stamp required for postal delivery. I attempted to apologize and explain the situation – he just wants to sit by the fire. I think we’ll both be all right.
Thank you to all our wonderful correspondents, both sending and receiving is a pleasure

The next “big project” is getting ready for a trip #BCInvasion in April/May. Focus is “family, friends, parks, and gardens” 1st time for my darlings, and I’m a little intimidated to deal with lack of public toilets, tax/tips and other social connections, but will get through it. And yes, of course I’ve made a Google doc plan and “poster art”.

New Year Cards – postal drop & related evidence

New Year day in Japan is better than Christmas for postal mail enthusiasts when a big stack of cards arrives with a “thud” – complete with “magic numbers” which you look up in the newspaper to see if you won some prize, {one time I won stamps}

PS about 885 million of these special New Year’s cards are delivered on New Year’s Day – yes, that many, yes by postal workers working on New Year’s Day

Postal worker zipping around on special bike, delivering items to the Munetade shrine

PPS we sent about 250 and so much thanks to all the folks who sent festive cards to us – Will be savored, inventoried archived, scrapbook’d and thanked.

Postal Dossier: to Poet Ron and Artist Jinn

Poet Ron Whitehead says,

Ron Whitehead is *the outlaw poet* – a true legend and gentlemen, to be admired, read, listened to, and respected. I definitely do all of the above.

Huge Shout Out Thank You to my friend Dave Olson for the Amazing Gift Package from Japan!!! Sending good vibrations from my little writing cottage near the banks of the oh great river!!

Ron Whitehead, Lifetime Beat Poet Laureate

Photo by Frogg Corpse

To which i reply,

Dear poet Ron and artist Jinn,

So glad the package arrived, and very grateful that you took the time to savour all the contents with glimpses of my projects and “usual days” plus very much appreciate you making this wonderful collage / unsurprisingly, I will be sure to properly archive the evidence

Warms my heart across continents and oceans. I look forward to continued correspondence and collaborations.

Fondly from my cottage to yours,

PS for those curious about the Kerouac in Kobe artifacts, check this dossier & video: “Kerouac in Kobe” – *On the Road scroll* in Japan / video interview + exhibit

Post’d: well-franked from Wales, Portugal and Gifu + India returned

Quite an assortment in the Post box yesterday:

that right there is a beautiful quartet

1) postcard of painting of a postbox from Wales with a commemorative Queen Elizabeth 2 Memorial franking & 3 language Air Mail seal

2) postcard from a dear correspondent in Gifu who’s postmaster always does a fantastic cancellation stamp (subject matter: motels around the world)

3) big envelope with collage art from Portugal with a fantastic oversize 4£ portfolio style stamp

4) a postcard i mailed to India that sadly, was returned because “mail to this region is not currently possible“ – keeping it on standby in the meanwhile