Rediscovering work-life-balance through designing postcards

Oil painting is a medium I picked up when I was around 12. For me, experimenting with the vibrant colors and buttery texture of the medium was a great way to create for leisure, but it became so much more than that. When I moved in elementary school, I painted 20 unique oil paintings in the span of two weeks for my classmates as a goodbye gift. I remember the Dollarama clerk looked at me and my parents in horror as we walked out with stacks of canvases.

I used to imitate famous artworks using oil paint when I first moved to Canada. In a way, it reflected my attempt to imitate those around me, how they spoke and behaved — in order to assimilate into the culture as a first generation immigrant. Painting felt like a constant when I tried to adapt to new environments. Oil paint left an obvious mark in my life, figuratively and literally. In our first apartment after moving to Canada, I splashed paint on the carpet accidentally and remember scrubbing at it for an hour. When we moved to a house near the peak of West Vancouver, I converted the entire first floor to an art studio. I would spend hours on end everyday in there during middle school; lots of experimentation, including oil painting, polymer clay, resin, needle felting, woodworking, and more. I spent most of my time alone during this phase. Creating became my biggest source of comfort.

In grade 9, I came across a platform called Postcrossing. It was a magical place where strangers would send postcards to each other across the world containing greeting messages, short stories about their life, the weather, and short phrases in their mother tongue. Many users would have thousands upon thousands of sent and received postcards ; they do it for the love of collecting cards, and for a surprise in the mailbox once in a while. That really spoke to me, because learning about how people of different cultures live their life helps me reflect about how I live my life as a mirror of two very different cultures. Up until my high school graduation, I’d sent and received about 100 postcards.

Postcrossing did for me something that nothing or no-one else could do. It made me realize that there was a world beyond my bubble, it bridged me with people across the world whom I would’ve never gotten to hear from otherwise. I have a lot of postcards from the Netherlands, from Czechia, and from Germany, followed by the USA and Taiwan. Some people hand-drew post cards. It felt special. Sending and collecting postcards became a highlight of my days by adding an element of surprise.

Fast forward to college. Ever since college started, I completely halted Postcrossing after realizing that the postcards had difficulty getting to my dorm mailbox. I never stopped collecting postcards though. Everywhere I travel, I will never fail to pick up a batch of postcards ; I know I will use them one day. I also knew that if I got the chance one day, I would design my own postcards and send them across the world.

Soon, life became carried away by school work, student organizations, and now, a fast-paced 9–5 internship at a tech startup. I can’t help but want a breather, a creative outlet that sparks joy for me, and better yet, for other people too.

So I started my own post card club. From the first idea to launching, it took less than 20 days. I painted two original oil pieces within that span of time. Revisiting oil painting quickly grounded me as I began navigating busy life in Toronto.

I named my post card club Atomik Light because I now believe that small pieces of light and hope are scattered around us. Whether we choose to perceive and interpret them is completely up to us. I could be soothed by things like a fresh wisp of wind, a night sky of stars, or a green and dewy lily pad pond — or, I can choose to ignore and go about my day. The seemingly small things matter, intentionality matters. That can look like a small surprise in your mailbox, or a moment spent journaling, reflecting, and growing. When these small, positive things add up, they shape your narrative.

A quick note on the contents of the envelope:

All elements are centered around the monthly theme — which is a combination of a virtue and a natural spectacle. The theme for July is Space x Curiosity.

1 letter dissecting the theme, interesting facts and news in relation to space, and journal/reflection prompts based on the virtue of curiosity.

1 print postcard of the monthly painting that doubles as an art print.

1 vinyl sticker — will be an illustration this July, but linocut-prints after this month.

Bonus special surprise goodies depending on my bandwidth!

If you want to brighten your day just a little, or just want a small break of writing a thoughtful postcard and sending it off to a corner of this vast world, I hope you’ll follow along with the growth of Atomik Light.

No pressure to subscribe, but it would be lovely to know your thoughts on this project. And if you’re ready to receive an Atomik Light package, you can subscribe here! (https://www.posthou.se/atomiklight)

Lots and lots of love,

Rebecca