by Georgia Lange

Original artwork and design by Wendy Patterson of Cafe Baudelaire

etiquette |etikit; -ket| – noun
the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group

Several months ago, I was listening to NPR and tuned into a discussion about handwriting. It was under debate whether handwriting is a dying practice in the digital age of communication. People rarely write hand-written letters anymore; the vast majority simply send an email or a digital greeting card. As I listened to the discussion, my inner fine artist started to cringe; I remember hearing similar discussions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) over the future of painting, museums, hand-drawn animation and so forth. Traditions live on because we as a society choose to honor them by continuing their practice. There is something special about the tradition of creating things with our hands, and it is important not to lose the little things (such as handwriting or hand-written letters) just because modern technology makes it so much easier for us. Whatever your craft, your hands are as unique as your fingerprints. What you create using them is just as unique as you are, and just as precious.

Sending a hand-written letter has a much more personal and classy touch than an email. There are many ways to turn your hand-written letters into something extra special. Try writing with a quill pen or sealing your letters with a wax seal. This adds an artistic element to your letters giving them a more vintage and romantic quality. Check out nostalgicimpressions.com for an excellent selection of sealing wax, seals, and quilled pens. If this kind of etiquette appeals to you, than you are truly an artist at heart. Creating your own greeting cards with your art on them is the best way to turn your letters into gifts.

Giving someone a piece of your artwork, be it a print or an original, is a truly special kind of gift because it comes directly from you, and it makes the recipient feel just that much more special. The same principle also applies to greeting and gift cards. Maybe there are people in your life that you feel you do not have a close enough relationship with to warrant giving them a gift, but you still feel the need to let them know you are thinking of them. You may also have friends who are spread out across the country to whom you cannot afford to ship presents, but you still want to wish them a happy holiday season. Sending a greeting card with your original artwork printed on it is similar to sending a fine art print on a smaller scale. If you have your greeting cards printed in a 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 inch size, the recipients can easily place it in a frame turning a simple card into a work of art that can hang on their walls. It is also cost effective and allows you as an artist to market your work and your talent. Save that box of holiday greeting cards that you bought on post-holiday sale at Barnes and Noble or Borders last year and make your greeting cards more intimate and personal with a touch of the artistic and a touch of you.