Nostalgia, connection fueling snail mail art

Since the peak of letter delivery in 2008, Australians have continued to send and receive less letters each year, but an emerging trend has young people checking their letterboxes again.

Across Tiktok and Instagram #snailmail has been used close to 3.5 million times. Chirpy videos of young people packing and opening letters is creating a cultural movement – a return to snail mail.

It’s no surprise Geelong locals have felt the call of a postage stamp too.

Geelong creative Jess Keeli has been working as an artist since 2019 and sent her first Jess Keeli Creative print club letters in February this year.

After seeing other creatives online posting about their own snail mail clubs and noticing many were based in the US, she saw a gap in the Australian market.

“I loved the idea of connecting with customers in a more intentional way that could be ever-evolving and fun to play around with,” Keeli said.

“It also allows me to have a bit of fun with what I get to create. Instead of just painting things that ‘go with’ the rest of my collection or that I know I can market well, I get to just sit down and play around with my paints and create something purely because it brought me joy.”

Keeli also longs for the nostalgia of seeing your name on something in the letterbox and not knowing what would be inside.

Through the project she hopes to bring back that joy for others.

“I miss when getting a letter in the mail was super exciting and not just a boring bill or generic letter from the local politician,” she said.

“When you would be so surprised to find something in the mailbox with your name on it and you’d be eager to rip it open and see what was inside.

“Since my other artwork often connected with people’s fondest memories, starting a print club to surprise them with a bit of nostalgia each month seemed like the obvious next step for me and my business. When the world is feeling gloomy, being surprised by some happy mail in your letterbox could really brighten your day.”

Since her first month, Keeli has seen a more than 100 per cent increase in subscribers to the club and hopes to see it continue to bring joy to more people.

Keeli already had an engaged audience when she launched, but noted half her subscribers were first-time customers. This step from engaged follower to paying customer could be a breakthrough for many artists.

She also said snail mail clubs were great for artists looking to try something new with their work or connect to their audience in a deeper way.

For customers, print clubs and small runs are a great way to support their favourite artists and engage with their work at a lower price point.

“By posting letters the ‘snail mail’ way – just with a stamp – it means prices can be kept lower as expensive postage fees and additional tracking information isn’t necessary,” Keeli said.

“Being able to offer something at a lower price-point might be just the encouragement that someone needs to dip their toes in to your art.

“If you’re an artist that is intimidated by international postage due to tariffs and import rules then a print club is a great way to start sending overseas as a simple letter can just be posted with the correct stamps.”