Free
All Courses
195
Your Creative Sparkle: artfully craft your unique story in letters
What our tribe of fellow letter enthusiasts say about our courses and talks
The letter writing three-hour course in one word… inspiring… It gave me back something I had stopped doing… namely blogging… many years ago and something I enjoyed so much. Your approach to the course was unexpected and therefore thought provoking. This in turn made me see myself being able to think artistically.
Trevor Clower
Designer
It has been really wonderful to look at such familiar things in new ways, finding new understanding and in a different language – a sort of celebration – thank you!
Sally Daniels
Architecture teacher attendee of Your Creative Sparkle
This video is some kind of reminder that we are all humans and we can express our feelings on the paper and share them with dear persons. The speaker tells us about a variety of types of handwriting and how important it could be. There's nothing hard to take a sheet of paper, pen and write warm word to your closers. Even children can do this. So simple. You can make some mistakes, use drawings and do not follow the sequence of thoughts. Writing is an art. This video inspired me to write a letter to my family.
Bondar Valerie
2020, on the Tedx talk "The Lost Art of Letter Writing", by Elspeth Penny
“It really fuelled me. It already feels like I’m going in a different direction. I was going to start my writing, and got stuck, but all of a sudden I’ve got all I want to write about. I’m going to start from a totally different perspective.”
Nick
North Somerset attendee of Your Creative Sparkle Course 2017
I’ve never spoken in that language about anything – a language of paper shapes and abstract marks. It has felt that stories which are sad or significant are easily and fluidly and surprisingly flippable. Thank you so much dear Elspeth. I never would have looked at that period of time.
Eleanor Glover
Artists, on Your Creative Sparkle
This video made me realize how precious handwritten letters are. How each word represents a different emotion and feeling. It is great to still write these types of letters because the people who sent it put so much effort into them to make you feel better, smile or maybe drop a tear. This treasurable format of writing basically makes you feel different kinds of emotions. I think that it is a great idea to start a movement like that because these papers keep so much memory in them. They are basically time travelers.
Камила Кулиева Nov 2019
On the Tedx talk "The Lost Art of Letter Writing", by Elspeth Penny
Not many people today realise the importance of hand-written letters, so what Elspeth is doing is actually inspiring. Inspiring to stand up for the things that make us feel real and happy, such as those precious letters that you get from a relative that lives miles away from you. A letter with its own scent, feel, creativity truly holds a great power in it, and it's quite a shame that this art is forgotten. Great video though!
Ankh Nov 2019
On the Tedx talk "The Lost Art of Letter Writing", by Elspeth Penny
Thanks very much for the workshop and for these notes. I thought your room was buzzing with creativity and I loved how you introduced people to the ideas. I watched you working with xxx who gave the most bizarre answers (breath sounds like a lawnmower... !) and was really moved to see how gentle and non-prescriptive you were. I loved the pieces I saw (the box, the COPD one)
Professor Havi Carel
Professor of primary health care Centre for Academic Primary Care Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol
I enjoyed breathing, dancing and making
I liked making cards to our breath
I liked closing our eyes and meditating and describing our breath
I loved every bit of, the beetroot juice card making
I loved EVERYTHING
Pupil
Christchurch School, Clifton
Really impressive monologue which makes you remember how cool it is to write by your hand, not just typing in electronic variant. All your mistakes in letter, all corrections, maybe replacing the pen because the other one just stopped writing. All of this aspects convey the atmosphere in which you are right now. Due to this video i realised how perfectly imperfect can be a letter writing with a soul. Thanks to this video I had a desire to write and send a letter.
Ann October 2019
Thank you so much for this. I too have just started writing letters again, after feeling what could only be described as "digital fatigue." I have found myself constantly checking my phone in order to connect with someone. But writing a letter allows you the time to sit and think about what you want to say, and about what the recipient would want to read. I feel it is an act of giving, instead of this constant waiting to receive an instant reply or a notification that you are "liked". It is like a little gift you are giving someone, and it is a way of feeling a connection with someone even when they can't be there with you. I wish that it could become a part of our daily lives, but it is difficult to find time to get all the pieces together: pen, paper, envelope, address, stamp, mailbox. Not to mention no spell check. It seems simple but in the age of apps it seems like a lengthy set of tasks. I think in this moment in time, yes, some will question why you would want to write letters. But who wouldn't want to receive a hand written letter in the mail? I think nobody.
Joanna Brown 5 years ago
I have always been an avid letter writer, since I was a little girl. I have saved every card, letter, and note written in school since I was old enough to do so. I also have kept a journal since at least 14... and I enjoy writing as well as reading letters. Unfortunately nobody writes letters anymore. The only Christmas card I get in the mail anymore is from my mom. It does make me sad that this is considered a lost art, because it is so meaningful to be able to express yourself this way. I used to spend time writing long letters in pretty handwriting and then dress them up with stamps, stickers, and artwork. I miss having a penpal. Over the years I have tried to find friends to write to, but it usually goes like this... I send a letter and then never get one back.
ObesetoDimePiece 1 year ago
There are boxes filled with handwritten letters by my mother. While I was in college she wrote at least 6 days per week. Those were the days my only voice communication was a pay phone boot. You needed a ton of change to make a long distance call. Those saved letters were either in pencil or pen and mostly written while my mother had a spare moment in her second grade class room. She gave me a history of life at home. Those letters are difficult to read sometimes as the writing bring tears, smiles and laughter.
Susan Sweetin 1 year ago
I still write a lot of notes to people, not so much long letters any more. But, I do go to the Post Office and get "commemorative" stamps that are beautiful, and I spritz them all with perfume. I know that my letter recipients appreciate and keep them. Many of them go to children, and I hope that they reread these notes later in life.
Art Lady 2 years ago
I’m a better-person, by slivers of degree, for watching this. I write regularly. Thank You Madam
james clarke 1 year ago
There is something so special about receiving a hand written letter, to touch the paper it was written on, and feel the words impact the heart. A treasure indeed! Thanks so much for your wonderful video. With love from Canada, Evy
Evy Hannes 2 years ago
Thank You for bring up this subject about writing letters. We are now in an age of the Millionium. No one remembers about writing letters. I will surely remind everyone how wonderful it was when you went to your Mailbox and someone was kind enough to remember you and send you a hand writtenletter. Let's start this movement again. Writing to Care for Someone. I surely will be one who will write a letter to that someone that cares enough to receive it and read it as well.
Migdalia Torres 2 years ago
I watched this video and was inspired to write a letter! This video is imbued with atmosphere that you really want to take an old paper, write to your relative or friend, take some picture, spray with perfume and put it in envelope. It’s really interesting video! Thank you for the inspiration♥️
Annie Kasperova 10 months ago (edited)
After finding myself unable to bear a life devoid of letter writing, I have recently made some lovely pen pals and have begun the fulfilling journey of putting pen to stationery and writing correspondence. Composing letters allows me to feel as though I am taking a much yearned-for respite from the impersonal technologies in our periphery. I quite enjoyed this video and the comments of fellow viewers indicative of not being alone in my antiquated love of letters.
AvecPoésie 7 months ago
One day I decided I was going to start sending handwritten letters to friends and family. I went through my contacts to see who’s address I had and began going down the list. The responses (nearly all via text or FB Messenger 
) were incredibly positive. So many people told me it had been years since they’d received a proper letter, for some it was their first. I loathe sending what I call HAY (How Are You) letters filled with questions. I feel as though HAY letters hold the receiver hostage, forcing them to either reply in some fashion or to ignore the letter altogether. So I like to write short one or two page stories; that way their is no obligation for a reply.
) were incredibly positive. So many people told me it had been years since they’d received a proper letter, for some it was their first. I loathe sending what I call HAY (How Are You) letters filled with questions. I feel as though HAY letters hold the receiver hostage, forcing them to either reply in some fashion or to ignore the letter altogether. So I like to write short one or two page stories; that way their is no obligation for a reply.
Trentin Prather 1 year ago
I liked wen we do Art
Writing with feathers
I liked the decorating
Writing letters to breath
Pupils at St Werburgh's School, Bristol
This video was very interesting for me and I've learned some new information. The author made me think about problems of handwriting letters extinction. I suppose that it is really important to send letters than e-mails, for instance. It is so touching to achieve a handwriting letter, it carries a huge meaning. And it doesn't matter, that it takes you a lot of time to write it, send or to wait for an answer. The result is overcoming all expectations.
Диана Шаргаева 10 months ago
i consider that handwriting letters is wonderful ! It’s a great opportunity to move at the past. It’s a material and it’s better than some electronic letter! You can feel the texture of the paper , to smell this. And you can put your real feelings in your paper letter. I believe that nothing can replace this.
Дарья Смолькова 10 months ago
Students in boarding schools and faraway universities used to write lots of letters and parents write them letters too. Migrants from my country Ireland used to write home letters, as phonecalls cost too money.
ZocNad
My great grandmothers letters were in pencil. her words are all now fading into the paper. I can see her in my minds eye as she licked her pencil lead to wet it before she she started writing. she had very creative spelling. She also stuck a stick of gum in her letters. Nice minty spell. My grandmothers all smelled of the estee lauder perfume that she wore
Erinne Kennedy-Dock