A Piece from Me to You: More than a Paper

My happiness revolves around making others feel good about themselves. There are many ways this can look. Sometimes it’s simply texting my friend to make sure they’re doing well and not going insane from the innate and mundane chaos that can be our everyday lives. Other times, it’s more tangible like giving a few dollar bills to the homeless man that sleeps on the gas station bench.

Making someone feel appreciated and cared for, even for a second, is very special. However, the point here is that happiness for me is making others happy. It sounds a cliché and maybe not even genuine. Who knows, really? But you get the point. I want everyone in my life to know “Hey, I’m here, I’m listening and I care.”

Because of that, something I love to do and have cultivated in a hobby of mine is handmade cards.

When we’re in grade school, one of the things everyone gets a chance to do is make a card; for Christmas, for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and so on. Many of our parents would proudly display them on the refrigerator, despite the gulp of glitter or the misspelled words that decorate it. Any sane person would throw it away after a few weeks or simply replace it with more artwork we would surely bring. But our parents don’t do that. They leave them up on display for years so they can proudly show it off to their snobby friends, that loud aunt during Christmas and the ever so popular, to your teen friends and embarrass you.

The more I think about it, the cards and artwork were not left held up by some old magnets to show off or embarrass anyone. It’s what the card says, without actually saying it. A childish handmade card says, “Hey mom, I made you a card because I love you and I appreciate you.” The love that stems from the simple act, means 100 times more to our mom than it will to us, a 6-year-old kid who just wanted to color and play with glue.

Just as I mention this, I remember how I treasured my time when I got to color, make art or crafts, and of course, the everlasting handmade card. To me it stemmed my passion for arts. I developed a love for drawing, painting and creating anything in general. At some point I got to high school, and my passion grew every year I was able to take another art class. However, no matter the elaborate art pieces I made, I’d always stop and take my time to make handmade cards; it didn’t matter the occasion; it was always a goal of mine to give the people I love a handmade card.

I vividly remember being sixteen, sitting in my best friend's kitchen, watching her open her birthday card I made on blue paper, with a rainbow and Daisy’s drawn all over the front. Inside was my handwritten message for her, wishing her the best of birthdays. After, we celebrated and went on with the day. However, later that night she sent me a text message where she thanked me for the card and described me as being “a unicorn farting Skittle rainbows.” That was me, and yes, I still have that text message saved. That was about ten years ago.

Of course, for any holiday, birthday or special occasion, people generally expect some type of gift, and for the most part it’s store bought. Today it’s easier to get a unique gift thanks to the vast of options the internet has to offer, and I won’t lie and say that I’m too good for that because I’m not. I love a good ole fashion 2 day shipping amazon gift just like any other girl.

But regardless of the occasion, the time I have before said event or the person it is for, that handmade card is always present.

There have been times in my life when I didn’t have the option to buy a gift from Amazon or anywhere else for that matter. But that feeling of wanting to let others know that I cared about their particular, special day was and has always been in me. The only thing that I did have was paper, pencils and color, and of course, my love of creating.

Because of that, I was able to make others a unique, sometimes quirky, not so good, handmade card. But regardless if it was ten years ago or yesterday, my process and the way I make my cards hasn’t really changed. I usually brainstorm what I would like the card to look like, depending on the person or occasion. Maybe what they’re currently interested in? Their hobbies and talents? I’ll think of these questions and many more to narrow down on a theme. I research for ideas, get inspiration from other artists online to make my design. Sometimes I’ll mix their images with mine or so on. As I figure out the design, I think about how and what shape I want the card to be. Most of the time, they’ll end up being a traditional 5"x 7", but I’ll make sure to add a 3D pop-up cutout here or there. I might make the card a simple small square, or maybe in the shape of a heart or Christmas tree. Again, it depends on the occasion, the design and for who.

I do, however, always hand draw the images. If I simply print them or photoshop them a certain way, it makes it a little less impressive in my opinion. I love drawing them myself and “photoshopping” them by hand. Then, I'll use paint, oil pastels to color them but mostly I stick to classic colored pencils. Then, I add glitter, other cutouts or stickers.

Aside from the design, I do take my time to write, then rewrite that personal message inside the card. I always try to write what I really am thinking, to make my feelings and personality shine through my words. I’m not someone who can easily say out loud how I feel, but I don’t shy away from writing it. As I'm typing this, it sounds silly because it's basically the same thing. But, it really isn’t. If you know, you know.

I will say, even though I consider myself an amateur artist, I wouldn’t say I’m “good” at it, it’s just something I do that makes me happy. The art of designing the card, doing “research”, making it and then handing it to its owner; all of the steps make me happy. I know some of my friends, and family might always see it as a childish habit, a random construction paper but to me it does mean more than any other gift I could give them or a random store bought card.

Obviously there’s no shame buying a card from Walgreens; I’m not judging you. Promise! I do these cards because it’s something I’m able to do and it brings a smile knowing I made something for someone I care about. It’s the smallest and most overlooked thing I could give but the message it carries is what matters.