In an era where productivity means making the most of every second and screens blur the boundary between work and home, some individuals are choosing to slow down and disconnect by turning to communication tools from the past.
Activities ranging from writing letters to TikTok communities that display calligraphy skills and the use of wax seals are causing a revival of retro writing instruments. These pursuits are more than just charming throwbacks; they offer their enthusiasts the opportunity to be more purposeful with their time and build meaningful connections with others.
“I feel as if my pen pals are my friends. I don’t view them much differently from how I’d see a friend I’m chatting with on the phone, in a coffee shop, or at someone’s home,” said Melissa Bobbitt, 42, a dedicated letter – writer who corresponds with around a dozen people from her home in Claremont, California, and has had as many as 40 pen pals at one time. “Focusing on one person, really reading what they’re saying, and sharing what’s in your heart is almost like a therapy session.”
Ink, paper, and other tools that were once the sole means of sending a message from afar continue to bring people from all over the world together. Below, some of them explain the allure of snail mail and offer suggestions on how to get started.
Writing can be an escape
In a society characterized by constant accessibility, hands – on hobbies like writing letters and scrapbooking demand focus and patience. The act of picking up a pen, sealing an envelope with wax, and arranging pages may produce aesthetically pleasing results, but it also creates a…
Stephania Kontopanos, a 21 – year – old student in Chicago, said it can be difficult to put away her phone and computer, especially when it seems that 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 notice that we’re all on our phones,” Kontopanos said, adding that she tries to put her phone down at those moments.
Kontopanos also consciously disconnects by sending postcards to her family and friends, scrapbooking, and junk journaling, which involves repurposing everyday items like tickets and receipts to record memories or ideas. She says going to the post office has become an activity she does with her mother back home in Kansas and includes sharing stories with the postal workers, people she wouldn’t usually meet.
Nostalgia can foster community
Writing and sending letters evokes nostalgia for KiKi Klassen, who lives 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, which represents 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 says her membership includes more than 1,000 people across, at most, 36 countries.
“When I sit down, I’m compelled to reflect and choose my words carefully,” Klassen said. “It also makes one vulnerable because it’s easier to write down how you’re feeling. I’ve had people write back to me, and I’ve cried listening to so many touching stories. I think for a lot of people, paper creates a safe space. You write it down, send it off, and don’t really think about it afterward.”
For Bobbitt, who has been corresponding by mail for years, there’s a “great sense of excitement” when she opens her mailbox and finds something that isn’t a bill or an advertisement. “If we all filled each other’s mailboxes with letters, we’d all be kinder and, at the very least, 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 around the world to send and receive postcards. She says some of the postcards turned into letters as friendships developed between her and some other regular writers.
It’s a similar sense of connection that 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 with letter writing, coloring, vinyl listening sessions, and other activities.
“We live in a digital age that creates a false sense of connection, but I think true connection happens in person,” he said. “When we can touch or see something, we’re more naturally connected to it. These analog activities are a manifestation of that.”
How to get started
While writing letters and engaging in other vintage pursuits may seem accessible, it’s not always easy to get involved. For many people, finding time to slow down can feel like another task in a schedule full of to – dos.
Kontopanos says she decided it was important for her 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 the hobbies she loved enough to make them a priority, she said.
There are some activities, some of which don’t require expensive tools or hours of free time. Frequenting places where communities centered around these hobbies gather can be a way to learn about the different activities. For example, participating in typewriter clubs such as 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… on… and The Calligraphy Hub on Facebook.
Klassen says that based on the posts she sees on her social media feeds, the revival of vintage writing instruments and small tactile pleasures might be on the verge of becoming trendy.
“The girls are going analog in 2026,” she said.