Letters from COVID-19
Lonely and bored in quarantine? Struggling to process how quickly the world around you has changed in light of the novel coronavirus pandemic? Write a letter!
The Letters from COVID-19 Project is collecting letters about your thoughts and experiences during the pandemic for a crowd-sourced time capsule. When the day comes that it is safe to gather in groups once again, these letters will be displayed in an exhibit for a post-coronavirus world.
How does it work?
1. Write a letter! To a friend or a loved one, or even your future yourself— whoever you want. Share what's on your mind these days, or what's changed.
Letters are personal and honest, so don't be afraid to get what's off your chest. Remember to include the date, and sign your name.
2. Slide it into an envelope, stick on a stamp, and mail it to:
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Carmen Molina Acosta
P.O. Box 502
Cabin John, MD 20818
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Feel free to include some kind of trinket or artifact as a bonus: that can be a sketch, a poem you wrote, or a recipe you tried!
graphic courtesy pikisuperstar
Over the course of a handful of weeks, communities across the country— and the world— have been flipped upside down by the novel coronavirus pandemic. ​While there’s a shared trauma and grief, it’s something a lot of us are going through alone, as we isolate and social distance in an effort to limit the spread. My hope is that this project can help us all process this experience, share it and record it for longevity, all without having to leave our homes.
The ultimate goal is to display the letters in a gallery once people are finally able to congregate again safely. Currently, that intends to be the Design Cultures and Creativity Capstone Fair at the University of Maryland in the Fall, though that may change. The letters will also also be scanned and posted online together to form a mosaic of what this time period looked like.
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Estimates for when this pandemic will end vary from a few months to over a year. In keeping with the uncertainty of that timeline, this project will go on indefinitely— so long as you keep sending letters, I’ll keep receiving them!​
3. Shoot me a quick email to let me know it’s on its way!
4. Your work here is done!
I'll hold on to your letter and reach out again when the pandemic is over, where it will be displayed in a physical and digital gallery.
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Why letters?
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The symbolism behind the letter is that it's a physical item that gets to be exchanged in a time when physical contact has to be avoided. Personally, I've been experimenting with efforts to document and process my experience in a lot of different ways— art, journaling, writing. But one of the most effective ways I’ve found is writing letters to my friends from college— real, pen-to-paper, stamp-to-envelope letters. Yes, we still text and call and Zoom. But there’s something about getting to put a snapshot of your life on a page— and willingly letting it go— that doesn’t quite compare.
Buying stamps and sending mail is also a great and easy way to support the USPS postal system! An essential public service, the postal system has also found itself financially vulnerable during this pandemic.
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Some overall tips:
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Make sure you have enough stamps! The worst feeling in the word is putting a letter lovingly in the mail, only for it to come back your way a few days later. Usually, you’ll only need one 55 cent forever stamp. However, if you’re writing a lot or include something else in your envelope, it may exceed the 1 ounce limit. Check out this link for help calculating how many you might need!
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Don’t send anything you feel strongly about having returned to you. The postal system can be finicky, and there’s always the risk your letter may be lost or damaged on its way over.
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Try to write as legibly as possible. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but writing your thoughts down for posterity does work best if they can be read again later.
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Still confused?
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Who do I write to?Whoever you'd like! It could be to a close friend or someone you love, whether you're quarantined with you or oceans away. You can write it as if you intend for them to read it now, or in the future. It can even be to your future self, or someone you’ve lost, if that’s who you really feel like talking to right about now.
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What do I write about?Anything you'd like! You can write about your day— what you ate for breakfast, what's changed and how you’re coping. Or maybe this crisis has just given you some time to think, and you have something on your mind that you would never quite share in person. All letters are personal and honest, so whether you're a student now learning from home or an essential worker on the front lines, don’t be afraid to share your thoughts, your worries, and your concerns.​
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Can I send something else?Communicate your experience in whatever way is best for you! Maybe that's by sketching something from your day or a poem you wrote before bed. Maybe that's sending a polaroid picture you took, or a recipe you tried. So long as it isn’t fragile or too heavy— unless you're willing to pay for a couple more stamps— I’ll take it! The end result hopes to be something of a time capsule for a post-coronavirus world, so however you would send a snapshot of your life to a penpal, do so— just include a small note so we know what it is, if it’s not obvious.
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How much of my information will be shared?Only the information you choose to share in your letter and the name you sign it with. Sign with initials or a nickname, if you'd like! Your full name, email and address will never be shared with anyone. Your privacy and comfort is of the utmost importance to me, so please don't hesitate to email me at lettersfromcovid19@gmail.com if you have further concerns!
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I'm concerned about transmitting or being exposed to COVID-19— what should I do?Please follow all federal, state and local regulations and guidelines to stay safe in your area. If any part of participating in this process would put yourself or others at risk of exposure, don’t. Similarly, if you are ill, have been exposed to COVID-19, or otherwise think you might transmit the virus by participating, don't! You can still share your experience without sacrificing your health. Write your letter now, if you'd like, and send it later—or scroll down for information on how to send it to me digitally! If you are feeling well, show no symptoms, and do still feel comfortable sending mail, simple precautions— like washing your hands and avoiding licking the envelope closed—can reduce the risk to me and the postal workers handling your letter. ​
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I want to participate, but snail mail isn't an option for me. Is there any way I can participate digitally?"Absolutely! The symbolism behind the letter is that it's a physical item that gets to be exchanged in a time when physical contact has to be avoided. But it’s not a perfect system, and the digital world has proven essential to us all. If you run into trouble actually getting an envelope my way, email me and I’ll try to help you out. If it’s really not possible, here’s how you can send it digitally: 1. Write your letter as you normally would if you were to mail it. If you would handwrite it and doodle in the corners or put hearts on your i’s, do so! 2. Scan a digital version of your letter and save it to your phone. The Notes app on iPhones has this feature, but you can also download free apps like Turboscan. 3. Email me the copy of your letter at lettersfromcovid19@gmail.com. If you’re not snail mailing it too, hold on to your original letter! That way, if there’s an issue with the digital version you send me, you can always scan it again. 4. Keep an eye out for a message back from me that I received the scan and that it’s in good shape. If I don’t ask you to rescan it, your work here is done!
Behind the project
Meet Carmen Molina Acosta
Lover of letter-writing, journals and stationary, I'm a journalism student at the University of Maryland seeking creative ways to document the world around me.
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This project is part- passion project, part- experiment, and part- Capstone project for the Design Cultures and Creativity Honors Program.