In a time where productivity hinges on maximizing every moment and screens blur the boundary between work and home, some individuals are slowing down and disconnecting by turning to past communication devices.
Activities ranging from writing letters and scrapbooking to TikTok communities showcasing calligraphy skills and wax seals are breathing new life into retro writing instruments. More than just quaint relics, these pursuits offer their enthusiasts an opportunity to be more intentional with their time and forge meaningful connections with others.
“I feel as though my pen pals are my friends. I don’t think of them much differently than if I were chatting with a friend on the phone, in a coffee shop or at another person’s house,” said Melissa Bobbitt, 42, a devoted letter-writer who corresponds with about a dozen people from her home in Claremont, California, and has had up to 40 pen pals at one time. “Focusing on one person and really reading what they are saying, and sharing what’s on your heart is almost like a therapy session.”
Ink, paper, and other tools that once were the sole means of sending messages from afar continue to bring people worldwide together. Below, some explain the allure of snail mail and offer tips for getting started.
Writing can be an escape
In a society defined by constant accessibility, hands-on hobbies like writing letters and scrapbooking demand focus and patience. Picking up a pen, sealing an envelope with wax, and arranging pages may yield aesthetically pleasing outcomes, but it also creates a retreat.
Stephania Kontopanos, a 21-year-old student in Chicago, noted that putting her phone and computer aside can be challenging, especially when it seems all her friends and peers are on social media and her classes and personal life revolve around being online.
“There are times when I’m with my friends at dinner, and I’ll realize we’re all on our phones,” Kontopanos said, adding that she tries to put her phone down during such moments.
Kontopanos also consciously disconnects by sending postcards to her family and friends, scrapbooking, and junk journaling—an activity that involves repurposing everyday items like tickets and receipts to document memories or ideas. She says visiting the post office has become an activity she shares with her mother back in Kansas and includes interacting with postal workers, people she wouldn’t typically encounter.
Nostalgia can foster community
Writing and sending letters evokes nostalgia for KiKi Klassen, who resides in Ontario, Canada. The 28-year-old says it helps her feel more connected to her late mother, who was a member of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, representing mail carriers and other postal employees.
In October 2024, Klassen launched the Lucky Duck Mail Club, a subscription-based monthly mail service that sends participants a piece of her art, an inspiring quote, and a message. She states her membership includes over 1,000 people in up to 36 countries.
“When I sit down, I’m compelled to reflect and choose my words carefully,” Klassen said. “It also lends itself to vulnerability because it’s easier to put your feelings into writing. I’ve had people write back to me, and I’ve cried hearing so many touching stories. I think for many people, paper provides a safe space. You write it down, send it off, and don’t really think about it afterward.”
For Bobbitt, who has corresponded via mail for years, there’s a “great excitement” when she opens her mailbox and finds something other than a bill or advertisement. “If we all filled each other’s mailboxes with letters, we’d all be kinder, and at the very least, we wouldn’t dread checking our mailboxes,” she said.
Bobbitt says she first joined a pen pal club in second or third grade and later connected with more writers through Postcrossing, an online project that pairs people worldwide to send and receive postcards. She notes some postcards evolved into letters as friendships developed with other regular writers.
A similar sense of connection inspired DJ Robert Owoyele, 34, to create CAYA, a monthly “analog gathering” in Dallas. Owoyele launched the event less than a year ago and has since organized evenings featuring letter writing, coloring, vinyl listening sessions, and other activities.
“We live in a digital age that cultivates a false sense of connection, but I believe true connection happens in person,” he said. “When we can touch or see something, we naturally feel more connected to it. These analog activities embody that.”
How to get started
While writing letters and engaging in other vintage pursuits may seem accessible, getting involved isn’t always easy. For many, carving out time to slow down can feel like yet another obligation in a schedule packed with to-dos.
Kontopanos said she decided it was crucial to reprioritize her time. “The older I get, the more I realize how much time I’ve wasted on my phone,” she said. Creating space to explore allowed her to discover hobbies she loved enough to make them a priority, she added.
There are various ways to begin, some of which don’t require expensive tools or hours of free time. Visiting spaces where communities centered around these hobbies gather can be a way to learn about different activities. For example, joining typewriter clubs like Type Pals, attending events like the Los Angeles Printers Fair hosted by the International Printing Museum in California, and engaging with social media communities like the Wax Seal group on [platform] and The Calligraphy Hub on Facebook.
Klassen says that based on posts she sees on her social media feeds, reviving vintage writing instruments and small tactile pleasures might soon become trendy.
“The girls are going analog in 2026,” she said.