What I dislike very much about receiving Mail Art

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Here I am.

In my Permanent Installation, also known as (AKA) my Studio, AKA 'Val's room at the top of the house'.

Three-and-a-half floors up, where only the cats and I venture.

From deep down below at street level I hear a 'click' that tells me that the mail has arrived at about noon.

I rush down stairs.

The cats follow me -- because they think it's lunch time;

I open the Mail Box, and if I'm very, very lucky I get some IUOMA Mail Art. (If I'm only very lucky I don't get any bills.)

It's always a surprise* to open up the Mail Box and take out my Mail Art 'goodies'.

And to get Mail Art is exciting -- envelopes, letters, postcards, ATCs, crazy boxes from Ernie, boekjes from Cheryl and Katerina, bizarre/fascinating/exotic bits'n'pieces from y'all -- anything and everything is most greatfully received.

The cats and I then go back upstairs to the Permanent Installation to inspect what we've received.

We look and enjoy.

Thank you for sending me Mail Art.

Val.

BUT YOU HAVEN'T SAID WHAT YOU DISLIKE VERY MUCH ABOUT RECEIVING MAIL ART, VAL!

Right.

* Well I said that 'It's always a surprise...' to receive Mail Art.

But sometimes it isn't a surprise at all, because the sender has posted on the IUOMA site what is going to be sent to me before it has been mailed.

If I see it -- 'Posted to Val today', or something similiar -- it has no surprise value at all.

All of the surprise, and a large part of the excitement has gone, alas.

That's the sort of Mail Art I dislike receiving.

It sort of reminds me of the Stones', "Who wants yesterday's paper? Who wants yesterday's girl?"

I want today's stuff, fresh from the Mail Box

Thank you again

*****

 

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Thanks for the comment Lisa. Yes, I would recommend a blog post after a mail post AND after it's receipt has been acknowledged.Then the elements of surprise and Mail Box magic are maintained. Bestest, Santa Val

[Neil Gordon]

Valentine, i'd love to have a copy of those 7 short stories about library life if you could! Me and my partner go "library-Hopping", Checking out different ones in our state, I also worked in some librarys and learned some secrets about how to keep books in circulation and keep them from being thrown out!Libraries throw ouf millions of books and magazines a year that could be given to those who cant have the luxury,or at least made into art. I also "haunt" Library book sales & thrift stores!

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Bonjour Neil! We share similiar experiences and/or 'deprived childhoods' -- I, too was a public library freak when i was growing up. Earlier this year I wrote 7 short (1 page) stories about my expieriences with post offices, postpeople etc over the years. I don't think that you were part of IUOMA when I distributed them. If you'd like to receive all or some of them, let me know. regards, JE Sweefoo

[Neil Gordon]

One of my favorite people  when i was a child(besides the library!) was the postal delivery person. i think we had the same one for 20 years or so. Mail is exciting,esp. art and goofy stuff. One of my heroes is Roulin,vincents mail man! I have a post card of the painting. see ya in the mail!-Neil

[Laurence Roberts]

What Lesley said !   x 2      :)

[Lesley Magwood Fraser]

Yes I agree Val. That delicious feeling of anticipation, holding the envelope in your hands, not knowing what treasure lies within is not experienced when one has seen it at IUOMA already. But the  nice part is actually holding it in your hand, enjoying the tactile quality of the artwork! But dont stop sending me work please everyone! Even if i have seen it, I want to make another big fat mailart book of all my IUOMA friends' work!

[Plush Possum Studio-Rose McGuinn]

Now I can really see where you're coming from on this one. Better to maintain that anticipatory effluvium without the spoiler factor.

On the other hand, there is always the direct trade with others, wherein it would be considered rude to assume they might have in mind something in return. I allude to ATC trading here. We generally start out by asking each other if a trade is in order. I like this procedure, i that it gives the old mill time to grind the grist that makes the flour of my creativity. I may be thinking, what does so-and-so enjoy? How might I please them better? What do I have to offer? What might work best? All that extracurricular pensiveness truly adds to the experience for me.

You do see what I mean?

[Laurence Roberts]

u ve got us all going Val -- now That was worth coming down stairs for !  

 

(werent it ?  :)

 

I know what u mean Austin --muchly ----

 

but if i need my nerve steadying for that (kind of)  sinking (among others)  i will often turn to the blesed JEAN DUBUFFET -- his pics, his words, his spirit

 

he helps me thru ...

 

( thinks: how the dead help us; influences; + the art of children which redeems us ....)

 

 

[Austin Wills James]

The only thing I hate is how humbling it can be when something amazing & beyond my abilities arrives. There's a sinking feeling I get when I know that the sender isn't going to get something nearly as good.

[Laurence Roberts]

i enjoyed reading this very much Val :)