The Gratitude Circle Mail Project
Archive
The Gratitude Circle Mail Project is an open call for gratitude and connection in a time of great isolation and loss. Four participants collaborate to create an accordion booklet linked together by moments of gratitude.
This project was inspired by an activity called “Gratitude Circle” from my kids yoga teaching days. At the end of each class, the kids and I would sit in a circle. One student would hold the singing bowl and begin the activity by sharing what they were grateful for with the class. Afterwards, they would ring the bell and pass it to the next student who would then share what they were grateful for. It was beautiful - to listen and to be heard by one another and to take a moment to sit with those parts of our lives we hold most dear.
The project also has its origins in the Surrealist game “Exquisite Corpse”, mail art, and public art projects including “The Tiny Pricks Project”.
To participate, write and/or draw 1-5 things you are grateful for in the accordion booklet on one panel. Then mail the accordion booklet and these instructions to a family member, friend, or acquaintance you are grateful for. The booklet (when flattened to a panel view) fits well in an A2 envelope.
When the fourth and final person has participated in this edition, he/she/they are asked to forward the completed piece back to project facilitator and archivist Erica Lee.
The project can be presented as a book or as a circular form when opened to its fullest.
An edition can be started by anyone with a 2 pieces of 8 1/2 x 11” paper, scissors, and a little bit of glue.
Instructions (PDF)
Template (PDF) - make sure print settings are set to “actual size” and not “fit”
Card to enclose with Book (PDF) - print double sided for four cards
If you do not have an A2 envelope, you can make one. This website has a great guide to making your own.
The Gratitude Circle Mail Project was launched in November 2020 by Erica Lee. If you have any questions, please email Erica at ereedlee@gmail.com.