keep writing project
LightNews LightNews
banner
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
keep writing project
@keepwritingproject.bsky.social
110 followers 140 following 320 posts
a monthly letterpress postcard subscription since 2008.
💌
chief correspondent: hope (they/them) @hopeamico.com
archive assistant: leslie (they/them) @oneironaut17.bsky.social
Posts Replies Media Videos
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 78
September 2015
May we all... lead many lives.

When Travis died, I knew I wanted to print something for him, something to share
with friends at the memorial I would be attending in New York. I sifted through
letters and zines and finally came upon this wish for our younger selves:
Handwriting printed on a blank white postcard. "May we all stay in touch & lead many lives." The back of the postcard. It's got a heart, and is signed "Travis" at the top. The text reads: "Words from an old friend. This is Keep Writing number 78 September 2015. for Travis Fristoe - Prolific penpal with distinctive and difficult handwriting. Honest critic, sincere listener, dependable friend. Choices were made. The consequences are our loss. May the peace that eluded you in life be yours now. Next month we return to the usual format of exchange, but this month, write to an old friend and ask them: how are you? really? and then listen."Write: 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608www.gutwrenchpress.com
July 18, 2025 at 8:28 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
I think this phrase can read like it is telling you to buck up! Don’t be sad! That’s not it though: be sad. When you are full of energy again, reach out, support your pals.

I was loving the pink and brown combo and again, I liked the gradient background.
I often try things a few ways.
The postcard, filled out. "To be of use... HAPPY is pretty much my default setting, but I know that's not true for everyone. To be of use I spend time with one who is mostly sad. I do what I can to cheer them up and they tell me a day with me always helps. I hope that's true." The postcard, filled out. "When I get anxious I often cave. Then I eat good food + find things to feel good about + realize the bounty in my life. Or sometimes I chase strangers. I let the bad play itself out, exorcise the demons, + keep living."
July 16, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 77
August 2015
What keeps you going when you’re down

I love this card but I think the wording was often misleading. You tell me: it is
meant to say, you have to take care of yourself first. You can’t be depressed or
sick and help others.
A postcard, two postcard lengths long. It is white, and the text is black and red. It reads - "July to August, summer vacation, sprinkled light and swimming, but the past 10 years I cry easily the whole month. I miss my friends. Something happened, something is still happening. Sadness, anger, anxiety, reasonable responses to the tragedies we remember in our bones. How do we prevent paralysis? I make these cards. I write to you. Your turn - How do you deal with difficult times? On the back of this card, tell me about the work you do that keeps you from the mire. Not your job, but how you keep going. Use words, pictures, or whatever you need. Then cut at the fold, stamp this card, and send it away. The other half is for you to keep." "Hope 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608 USA" "Keep writing no. 77 August 2015 see archive of responses at www.keepwritingpostcards.tumblr.com."The bottom half of the double postcard has a beehive, both in large combs in the background in red, and a zoomed out picture of one on a table with bees approaching it in black. It says "It's hard to be useful + sad." The back of the postcard. "Advice from a Spencer Tracy movie as relayed by Louis CK. This is keep writing number 77 August 2015. 10 year Katrinaversary edition. Find your work and do it. Don't shove down the sadness but don't let it immobilize you either. Welcome new subscribers. Subscribe! View the archive! Read responses!" www.gutwrenchpress.com write! 3205 Filbert St. Oakland CA 94608. PS See you at the SF zine fest sept 6th." The back of the postcard. It has some of the beehive design from the front, and says "To be of use..."
July 16, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
Tucked into a lot not too far from my house in West Oakland was a small urban
farm. They started in a garden just two blocks behind my house. I walked over on
the weekends to buy produce and small bouquets of flowers. They also helped
residents build raised planter boxes, way before the pandemic.
A handwritten response to the prompt. The person writing writes "Corte Madera, California" on the brown illustration. The rest of the handwriting reads - "I don't feel like I live in a neighborhood because I am sort of living life on the road right now. When I'm not in travel/work mode I'm staying with my parents in their suburban home. I have known most of the people who live in this neighborhood for nearly twenty years. I enjoy watching each household evolve; the families grow up and we grow apart but we have + will always be part of each other's lives living along a golden hillside..." Another prompt response, filled out in portrait this time. There are two round head illustrations of people looking at each other, one with a hat. The words read "People are learning to look one another in the eyes." The illustrations are saying "Hi", "hello: to each other. The rest of it reads "West Oakland 15. Mr. Blank Artfok 5. IAMURME. 7-20-15."
July 14, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 76
July 2015
The best thing in your neighborhood

When I lived in Oakland, I struggled to find the kinds of friends and community I
had in New Orleans. But sometimes I would find something sweet that reminded
me of my favorite city.
A double length postcard, a yellowish shade, with brown and red ink. The text on the top half reads: "One year ago, we moved to a lovely large house in a rowdy part of town. It's nice to have studio space at home, but the situation outside is rough, sometimes sad. Three blocks away, a few folks started a garden in a park. Now City Slicker Farms is an urban farm with chickens, a farm stand with a graduated payment scale, and part of a Saturday morning ritual for us, walking a few blocks around the neighborhood, buying greens and eggs, giving a extra dollar because we can. They help the people of West Oakland access fresh food through backyard gardens, the farm stand, and outreach. They are currently raising money to complete building a new center on the land they own. Check it out: www.cityslickerfarms.org. Your turn! Tell me about the best thing happening in your neighborhood.Using words or pictures, talk about what makes it so great, and where it is. Tear at the fold, and drop it in the mail. Responses from the East Bay will be in a map available August 1st as part of a tour of neighborhoods." Hope lists their address - "Hope 3205 Filbert St. Oakland CA 94608 USA." The lower half of the postcard has an illustration of a garden, with the quote "We are stronger together than we are alone.", credited to Walter "Sweetness" Peyton. The back text of the postcard. It reads - "Once again, Sol Weiss let me use one of her illustrations. This is Keep Writing number 76 July 2015. Printed in collaboration with a sharing of the Keep Writing Collection all month at E. M. Wolfman's in downtown Oakland where visitors can submit their responses to the same prompt you have here. More participation! You are invited to the opening party: Thursday July 2 7-9PM with snacks, postcard readings, and new music from Crimewave. Also join me for Letter Writing parties in July Saturdays from 1 till 3 PM July 11, 18, and especially on the 25th as we celebrate Walton Peyton's birthday with cake and postcards. (PS it is my birthday too) E. M. Wolfman's is on 13th at Franklin. They also have great books. Write to me: 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608. Subscribe www.gutwrenchpress.com/subscribe. A brown design in the lower right, leaving space for people to write a response.
July 14, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 75
June 2015
YOU get better

Why no question this month? Because sometimes I want a break.

And I wanted to print a gradient like the background, something you can’t do on
platen presses with an ink disk.
A grey and white patterned postcard, geometric, somewhat like snowflakes. There is blue text on the front that reads "I wish I could tell you that it gets better, but I can't because it doesn't. But YOU get better." The quote is attributed to Jean Rivers. The back of a white postcard. The blue text reads - "With apologies to the 'it gets better' campaign. This is Keep Writing no. 75 June 2015. No prompt for a response because everyone could benefit from having a little less to do sometimes. Take a month to think about the balance of changing the outside world versus the change in you. Then send me all the postcards that are crowding your desk, your bag, your notebook and join me at EM Wolfman's in Oakland in July. Opening party dates TBA, plus letter writing parties and more. Time to renew your subscription? www.gutwrench.etsy.com. Mail: 3205 Filbert Street Oakland CA 94608."
July 12, 2025 at 9:01 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
A grey version of the back of the postcard. This one reads "I am a dreamer having a nightmare." The same postcard, this time saying "I am a" with a drawing of a circle, and "having a" with a drawing of a square.
July 10, 2025 at 9:03 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
Bear Hebert wrote a great essay about whiteness and yoga you can easily find on their site.
Yoga teacher training made me a better teacher. I didn’t feel confident enough in my skills as a teacher to ask to teach letterpress.
The same postcard as the original picture. This ti me the text is a copper and black color, and the postcard is grey.
July 10, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 74
May 2015
I am a________ having a__________

At this moment, I was in a yoga teacher training. I later quit teaching yoga
because of the complicated ties with colonialism and cultural appropriation, and I
wasn’t prepared to be go deeper into body and movement study.
A brown postcard, double length, with black and brown text. It reads "recently, a teacher said this to me, that we are not humans having spiritual experiences but the other way around. look, i know it's a bit woo-woo and i grew up catholic and still have my lingering doubts but this idea is amazing to me. we don't have to debate religion here but imagine for a minute that we are gobs of energy, love, electricity, whatever you want to call it, existing in this body for now. your turn: maybe this is too heavy for your afternoon mail or maybe you believe something else entirely. so tell me about it. on the other side of this card fill in the blanks. cut at the fold, stamp it and send it to me! soon!" The address listed is "Hope 3205 Filbert Street Oakland CA 94608 USA". The back of the postcard in the previous picture. In redish brown text it reads "Not the other way around. This is Keep Writing number 74. A monthly postcard series that requests your participation. I send you this, you send something back. There are directions inside. And, though I usually tell you to take your time, send it back when you can - Get on it! Your responses will be shared in Oakland in July. Meanwhile, you can see them on th e internet: www.KeepWritingPostcards.tumblr.com. Or write me a letter:" And lists the same CA address from the first picture. The back of the brown postcard. It says "I am a" and then leaves a blank to be filled in. The second line says "having a" with another blank.
July 10, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
I assessed and cooked a giant pot of vegetables and sauce for pasta. I boiled eggs.

For the following months, I cooked for friends, I cooked at the bike shop where we spent most of our days. I turned our canned goods and non-perishables into one-pot wonders.
The cityscape on the previous card, with little thought bubbles reading a variety of things - "A smile" "A book How to Survive" "Signing the last song" "A tam tam" "Sunflower seeds" "A good knife" "A cosmonaut costume". A light skinned hand holds the cityscape bordered postcard. Inside is a drawing of a goat, piles of chopped wood, a small garden.
July 8, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 73
April 2015
What will you bring to the collapse of industrialized society?

In 2005, in New Orleans, while awaiting Hurricane Katrina, I collected all there
perishables our friends bought to the house we would share during the storm.
A white postcard with purple and black text. On the top of the postcard, the text reads "with the collapse of industrialized society, what will I miss? straws, bubble baths and ice cream. of course, these are just the silly small things, the things I could give up now if I wanted. what will I bring to the post-collapse survival? a one-pot meal repertoire. making do for dinner! Your Turn: what will you bring to the apocalypse? on the back of this card, write about and/or illustrate your skills for survival. no skills too small! tear or cut at the fold above, stamp it and drop it in the mail to me. and remember to start sending past postcards to be a part of the show in july!" Hope's address is listed as 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608 USA.The bottom half of the postcard has a purple city scape with a sign in front of it that says "TEAR IT DOWN". The back of the postcard, white with black text. "no foolin'. this is keep writing number 73, april 2015. thinking about spring and the end of the world and the little things that make days better. subscribe and get news at www.gutwrenchpress.com. send your oldies in now to be part of a collection shared in oakland in july! write: 3205 filbert street oakland 94608. www.gutwrenchpress.com" A black box on the white postcard, with a little cityscape along the bottom.
July 8, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 72
March 2015
Encourage a friend

Another design I liked so much I redesigned it in 2023.

When Bear and I briefly shared a lofted 1 bedroom apartment near LSU, I was
very unsure about my decision to move to Baton Rouge to be a 31 year old
undergrad.
A creme colored postcard with blue text that reads "timely words from a friend, a postscript on a note of thanks. everyone could use some encouraging words. not generic cheers or self-congratulatory bits to let us off the hook from the hard work, but a little something to loosen us from the muck of self-doubt. your turn. tear this card at the fold, stamp it, and on the other side, send yourself or someone you know some love. i will leave the address blank for you if you want to send it to them. if you like, send me a photo on instagram to share @gutwrenchhope (of course you can still mail it to me if you prefer)." "Send it to:"On the bottom of the postcard, a person in a newsboy cap holds a sign that says "You're doing a good job at life right now." The person in the newsboy cap from the front, but they've been decorated with a fancy mustache, lipstick, lots of bright colors. They are holding a sign that reads "Fly your freak flag always! #BelieveInYou" The person in the newsboy cap from the front, decorated with some extra bronze and black sparkling lines. Their sign reads "You are loved" with a heart.
July 6, 2025 at 9:01 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
I could hear the nightly helicopters over my neighborhood during protests; I lived near the on ramp to the Bay Bridge. The protests were inspiring but I rarely am one to get in the streets.

This card is a call to other forms of protest, for demanding change, for supporting those in the streets.
The back of the postcard with the green trumpet, someone has printed tools over it in brown - a hammer, a pencil, a paintbrush, a pen nib. Below each are words in black - Build The Bridge, Draw Out the Steps, Embrace The Color, Rhyme The Truth. The same trumpet, with a peace symbol by the mouth peace, and a heart by the opening. In black, the text reads "Racism sprints from the lie that certain human beings are less than fully human. It's a self-centered falsehood that corrupts our minds into believing we are right to treat others as we would not want to be treated." The same postcard, decorated with black and white arrows, as well as the word "LOVE" written in colorful block letters. On the trumpet, under a row of multicolored hearts, black text reads "SILENCE IS CONSENT".
July 4, 2025 at 9:01 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no. 71
February 2015
How will you contribute to the fight for racial equality?

Six months after the murder of Michael Brown, I was living in Oakland. The
immense tragedy, frustration, months of protests, and lack of accountability by
cops had me feeling worn down.
A creme colored postcard with green and brown text. The top half reads - "every time i hear the names of unarmed citizens killed by police i feel sick to my stomach. too many names, too many lives ended because of unchecked power and unexamined fear. do you think this doesn't affect you? our complacency allows it to continue. your turn. marching in the streets isn't for everyone. on the back of this card, share ways you want to help dismantle racism in our culture. use images, words, whatever you need to express your ideas. then cut at the fold, stamp it and drop it in the mail." hope's address is listed under an icon of a handshake - "hope 3205 filbert st oakland ca 94608 usa". the lower half of the postcard has a quote above a bronze printed tumpet. "what others did was their responsibility, for which they would answer when the judgement trumpet sounded. But what I did was my responsibility, and i would have to answer too." - James Baldwin, "The Fire Next Time". The back of the same postcard, in green text. "because reading james baldwin is only a start. this is keep writing number 71 february 2015 in honor of black history month and the struggle that continues today. the civil rights movement didn't end in the 60s, there are still plenty of folks still fighting for what is fair. let's talk: 3205 filbert street oakland ca 94608. www.gutwrenchpress.com" The same trumpet from the front, but printed in green.
July 4, 2025 at 9:01 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no. 70
January 2015
Happy New Year

I remember printing this one on the Universal 1 again but who can trust memory.
Again, with the experimenting. Linocut image, big type, opaque white ink tinted
with purple on dark paper. Subtle colors, a not so subtle reference to water.
A dark grey postcard, with all caps, sans serif font reading "IMMERSE" in black. The bottom half of the postcard has blue waves that are under the lower half of the word.
July 2, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
Letterpress printed with polymer plates on French Paper Co madero beach with a
borrowed Heidelberg Windmill Letterpress.

If you want your chance to participate you gotta sign up! buff.ly/ynbjKdZ
The "MERRY MERRY" postcard, but now someone has drawn a Christmas tree in a silver pen with red ornaments. There is more silver handwriting that says "Decorating our vintage aluminum tree is one of my favorite traditions." The same postcard says "Going on a light safari!" in a thick black pen. There are holiday lights drawn around the "MERRY MERRY" words, and little doodles of cars. A thin black pen writes "Happy holidays Hope!"
June 30, 2025 at 9:01 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 69
December 2014
Share a holiday tradition

Sometimes you just want to draw palm trees and holiday lights. I was trying out
making holiday cards, something I didn’t enjoy. But I like them as Keep Writing
cards.
A white double length postcard, with blue cursive type, and some red block lettering. It reads "growing up, we spent christmas eve at my grandpa's. we opened one present before going to bed and ate chocolate oranges for breakfast. now in my 30s without kids and far from my family, we have thanksgiving without turkey, but with all our friends at our place, christmas is still chocolate and oranges but also baking cookies and listening to the santaland diaries. traditions are important, and so is adapting. your turn: on the other side of this card, share your holiday traditions. however and whatever you celebrate. cut this card at the fold, stamp it, and drop it in the mail." the address is "hope 3205 filbert street oakland ca 94608 usa."The bottom half has two palm trees printed in teal, with strings of red lights between them. The words "MERRY MERRY" are printed white inside red rectangles above them. The text on the back reads "here come the holidays. this is keep writing number 69 december 2014. just a few more holiday craft sales and it's silk nog and rum in bed for me. welcome new friends, hello old. check www.gutwrenchpress.com. for archives, news, stories, and more. but i do prefer a letter, write 3205 filbert st oakland ca 94608." In the middle of a white postcard, the words "MERRY MERRY" are white letters printed inside individual teal rectangles.
June 30, 2025 at 9:01 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
Before ANOTHER Supreme Court Justice was confirmed despite accusations of
sexual harassment and assault. Have you watched Joe Biden’s questioning of
Anita Hill?

Letterpress printed with polymer plates on French paper grapesicle with a
borrowed Heidelberg Windmill Letterpress.
On the back of the postcard, someone has written "ONGOING HISTORICAL EVENT" in a vibrant highlighter yellow, then under that, in red pen, "The 2,239,800 PEOPLE IN US STATE AND FEDERAL PRISON." On the back of the postcard, black pen reads "Ohio State University lined up in formation shooting unarmed nonviolent protestors on campus. 4 dead in Ohio." There is a black and white photo of people lined up holding guns.
June 28, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 68
November 2014
Share a forgotten historical fact

There was a while where Anita Hill was just a law professor at Yale, before we had
to listen to hours of similar testimony and interrogation of Christine Blasey Ford.
A lavender double length postcard with black and blue text. The text on the top half reads "I was a teenager when anita hill testified in front of congress about being sexually harassed by her boss. don't worry, he was still voted onto the supreme court and she is a professor at brandeis who endured public ridicule because her dude employer hit on her at work. i still get angry when i hear 'judge clarence thomas' on the news but i realized some of my friends don't know why. YOUR TURN: how short our memory is. on the other side of this card, tell me about a historical event that still effects you but seems forgotten. use drawings, words, news clippings, photos. cut this ard at the fold. stamp it, drop it in the mail and send it on its way. check instagram for yours and other postcards @gutwrenchhope." the address is listed as "hope 3205 filbert st oakland ca 94608 usa". The bottom half of the postcard has a print of two women holding a sign that says "I still believe Anita Hill." The back of the postcard - The text reads: "after reading cassandra among the creeps' by rebecca solnit in the october issue of harper's, i thought: do you remember anita hill? this is keep writing no. 68 november 2014 the 'kids these days' edition. after much procrastination, my website is revamped. maybe i was waiting for technology to catch up to my minimal skills because it finally looks how i've been imagining. check it out, same name different face. www.gutwrenchpress.com. as always, write! 3205 filbert st oakland ca 94608."
June 28, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
If you want your chance to participate you gotta sign up! buff.ly/I4kiDVn

#KeepWriting #KeepWritingPostcards #KeepWritingProject #LetterpressPrinter
#NewOrleans #Printer #ArtStudent #ArtProject #SendMoreMail #SendAPostcard
#WhereYouFrom #Accent #Southern #Oakland #BayArea #Nerds
#PrintNerd
The pair of fists on the kraft colored postcard. This person has used the knuckles on each thumb so they can fit five letters on each hand - BREAD ROSES. These are in red text, written under the fists as well, which wasys "hearts starve as well as bodies, bread and roses, bread and roses. The two fists have blue text tattoos that say "Folk Lore". Around them, black text reads "It's what I got, and I do hate change. <3 Shawn."
June 26, 2025 at 9:03 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 67
October 2014
Knuckle tattoos!

I told you I was on a roll.

It was fun to draw hands! It is fun to think about knuckle tattoos. I still don’t have
any.

Letterpress printed with polymer plates on chipboard and some French Paper
with a borrowed Heidelberg Windmill Letterpress.
A double length postcard, with grey and orange font. The top half says "who hasn't thought about knuckle tattoos? this is my tribute to my home state -new hampshire- and one of its best features, a solid motto. too bad the libertarians agree. your turn. what will you put on your knuckles for all to see? or what do you have? would you change it? on the other side of this card, fill in the knuckles with your eight letter phrase. tear at the fold, stamp it and drop it in the mail to me. the other half is for you to keep!" there is an orange arrow, under which is an address, "Hope 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608 USA".The lower half of the postcard has a pair of firsts, facing forward, with "LIVE FREE" tattooed on the knuckles in orange. The same fists in the first image, but with no tattoos. The same kraft postcard, with grey text. "... or die. this is Keep Writing no. 67 October 2014 getting ready for the New Orleans Bookfair and fixing up the ol' etsy site. subscribe! www.gutwrench.etsy.com write! 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608."
June 26, 2025 at 9:03 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 66
September 2014
Share an annoying saying

That story is long and a bit complicated but one part of it was that I agreed to be a
temporary full time manager while a permanent one was found.
A Keep Writing postcard, open to show the "Your turn!" text and the print. The top half, in a mix of orange and red text, reads: "For 3 months I worked with someone who often said 'moving forward...' as she discussed plans that led to hasty action. Or more plans. Or to another meeting. But we can't go back. We're always moving forward. Her words carried no weight with me. Now that I've lost my job, the options are open. I reclaim her bits of meaninglessness as a call to action. Your turn. Hello to new friends. Here is your challenge: Think of something that annoys you, a saying, an idea, a complaint. Now make it yours. Write, draw, or describe it on the back of this card. Tear at the fold, stamp it, and drop it in the mail. The other half is for you to keep! (Don't forget that I will share what you send on instagram @gutwrenchhope unless you ask me not to)". Hope lists their address in red - "Hope 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608 USA". The bottom half is a print in red and orange, that reads MOCING EVER FORWARD with several arrows pointing to the right. The response part of the postcard, which is three red arrows pointing to the right. The back of the postcard, in red text. "Here we go! This is Keep Writing no. 66 September 2014 the unemployed edition. If you've been meaning to renew your lapsed subscription, now is a great time - www.etsy.gutwrench.com or do it in person at the SF Zine Fest 8/30-31 and at the New Orleans Bookfair in early November. Phew. Summer was great. Let's keep it going. Write 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608."
June 24, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 65
August 2014
My goals

Again, a month with no question but here’s why:
I knew I would be traveling for July and August to the southeast. I planned ahead. I printed cards for both month’s, mailed July’s, probably from the airport post box as I often did when I traveled.
A kraft colored postcard that reads - "Goals for 2014" on a background of small v marks. The list reads: "Keep a savings account (checked off), write more letters (checked off), finish a new zine, go back to Rome, make paper (checked off)." There is an arrow pointing from the last point to a piece of handmade paper attached to the postcard, with the word "look!". The back of the postcard, with words in teal. It reads - "Greetings from Penland, NC! I'm turning lucky 37 on a mountain, making paper. This is Keep Writing no 65 August 2014. GOALS part II where I share my goals for this 2014, a mid-year birthday check-in. Here's my list. Now you get another month to send me yours. I'll be back soon with a new assignment for you. Subscribe! www.gutwrenchpress.etsy.com. Write! 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 64608. p.s. that's a little piece of handmade paper for you!"
June 22, 2025 at 9:01 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 64
July 2014
Set a few goals

The second most popular design. A former co-worker, Sol Weiss illustrated a few cards for me. The tight registration was something I usually avoided, but it looked good. I reprinted this card many, many times, and redesigned it in 2023.
A Keep Writing postcard, open to show the "Your turn!" text as well as the print. The paper is white and the ink is black. Text on the top half: "Do I have lists of lists? Maybe. When Misha told me about the sign he saw on a middle school, I was surprised it took me so long to consider the balance between options and focus. I forget that is why I make lists - to prioritize. Your turn! On the back of this card, set a few goals for yourself - for the day, year, your life, your job, whatever. This isn't a bucket list (I hate that term) - this is ambitious focus. This is the work we do. Cut at the fold, stamp it, and drop it in the mail to me." Hope lists their address beside the text - "3205 Filbert St, Oakland CA 94608." The print at the bottom is a left hand leaning back, thumb facing the viewer. Text around it reads - "You can do anything, but you can't do everything." A left hand, thumb facing the viewer, from the edge. It's cupping the word "GOALS" written in a stylistic font. The paper is white. The text on the back of the print. It reads - "Advice from a middle school in new orleans. Illustrated for you by Sophia Weiss, illustrator and ambitious lady extraordinaire. This is Keep Writing no. 64 July 2014. Goals part I: trying to stay motivated without being overwhelmed. Subscribe! www.gutwrench.etsy.com. Write! 3205 Filbert St Oakland CA 94608."
June 20, 2025 at 9:02 PM
keepwritingproject.bsky.social
KEEP WRITING no 63
June 2014
New address

Ok, I moved into a new place in Oakland, a beautiful old Victorian that charmed me
with a sunny front room and a tiny back yard. It soon revealed its own problems
but in this first month I set up a studio in the front room which had gold flocked
wallpaper.
A Keep Writing postcard, open, showing the front and back to the camera. It is a cream colored card with brown ink. There is sewing along both the left and right edges. The top half is upside down to the viewer, and reads "We've moved! 3205 Filbert St, Oakland CA 94608, Keep Writing" with a dashed line at the top that reads "Cut here to form envelope flap". There is a squiggly, faint design behind the words. The bottom half says - "Hey! It's an envelope for all the postcards you've been meaning to send. 1. Cut at the dotted line. 2. Fill with completed postcards. (Mail cookies separately). 3. Glue or tape flap and stamp it! Send it on its way. 4. If you live in the Bay Area, prepare for a house warming party." with a heart at the end of the last sentence. Hope lists their new address again for mailing purposes. A close up on the text that explains how to mail postcards inside the envelope, as described in the previous picture. The other side of the postcard - Text reads "Welcome home. This is KEEP WRITING no. 63 June 2014. Subscribe! www.gutwrench.etsy.com. Write!" There is a line crossing out Hope's old address. Below, it says, "No! Now:" and lists Hope's new address (as described in the first photo).
June 18, 2025 at 9:01 PM