To paraphrase a popular quote, the best time to become more active in the fight for democracy, was yesterday. The second best time is today.
RADICAL POSTCARDS
We can make our voices heard by contacting the people who are positions to make changes. Postcards are one of the best forms of contact because a number of people see the cards as they work their way through the mail. Even if the true recipient never actually lays eyes on it, a lot of other people might. If the card is clever or interesting, it might get shown to others along the way. "Hey, look at this!"
Think of it this way -
Postcards are mini protest signs that travel around, sometimes across the country.
Making your own postcards is really simple and inexpensive. You can purchase plain postcards, but it's also pretty easy to make your own. Here's some basic info to get you started:
✅ POSTAL SPECS
> SIZE
To qualify for mailing at the First-Class Mail postcard price, it must be:
- Rectangular
- At least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inch thick
- No more than 4-1/4 x 6 inches long x 0.016 inches thick
Note: You can create a larger postcard, but you will need to use a regular stamp rather than the less expensive postcard stamp.
> POSTCARD STAMPS
As of July 13, the price of a postcard stamp increased from 56 cents to 62 cents. The price of a Forever stamp, for mailing letters in envelopes, increased from 73 cents to 78 cents.
> THE PAPER
The thickness info provided by the post office isn't much help since it is seldom on the paper pack.
Look for this —> 250gsm - 400gsm. (gsm is sometimes written as g/m2)
I use 300 g/m watercolor paper. I buy 9x12 sheets and cut them to a tiny bit less than 4x6. Some watercolor papers are a bit textured. I prefer the smooth, but the textured surface is what I'm using at the moment and it's fine.
Most cardstock is too thin, but they do make super thick cardstock. I haven't tried that because I've mostly used what I have on hand.
✅ POSTCARD LAYOUT BASICS
Postcards only have room for a few simple sentiments - a picture message on the front and a short paragraph and address on the back. The person handling the card may only have seconds to see the message.
Mass produced / professionally printed postcards barely get noticed, but a unique colorful handmade postcard with some catchy art and short phrases will stand out and perhaps raise curiosity. A few people might even read both the front and back if it's not too long. Maybe the person doing the tallying will show it to others. Maybe instead of trashing it, they will take it home to show others. Who knows?
✅ THE FRONT OF THE CARD is for the picture. Any writing on the front needs to be super short and to the point. This part of the card is hopefully what will grab someone's attention and make them want to take a closer look. It can be elaborately artistic or it can look like a five year old made it. As long as it's attention-getting, it will be fine. Your artistic abilities should not hold you back in any way.
Click HERE to see LOTS more examples of the fronts of postcards and a few tips and tricks for creating designs when you aren't artistically inclined or want to save a bit of time.
ALSO - CLICK HERE to see lots of EASY TO DRAW POSTCARD ART!
✅ THE BACK OF THE CARD is for the address and a brief message. The message should be one paragraph and be on the left half of the page. There's a limited amount of space for writing and that's perfect because the people coming across your card will probably be in a bit of a hurry. You need to figure out the absolute main point you care to make and write it as concisely as possible. Be sure to write legibly and not too small.
Here's an example expressing a bit of rage. I usually keep my language clean in my postcards but I was very angry when I did this one -
✅ PRIVACY AND SAFETY
I typically want to remain anonymous. I live in a very red area, though I have amazingly just found out a couple of fellow liberals live on my street. Still, I prefer to remain a little stealthy with my postcards.
I seldom sign my name on a postcard. Occasionally, I'll write a fake first name.
I never include my address.
I mail from a post office, not my home mailbox.
✅ MORE
Mailed postcards aren't my only way of spreading a message! Not every message needs to be mailed or needs to be on special paper. You might want to become a litterbug and leave little messages all over town. CLICK HERE to see more on this. There are some good ideas for other ways to get our messages out there!