Behind Cycle 5

Every month Mail Club gives me an excuse to try something new.

For this month's postcard, I ended up taking one of my favorite photos I've made in a while. It's a macro photograph of me holding a red cherry. Simple enough. But when I loaded the image onto my computer and zoomed in, I couldn't believe how much detail was there. You can literally see the ridges of my fingerprints. Didn't even know my camera could do that.

"The beauty of the natural world lies in the details." -Natalie Angier

The bookmark came from another one of those moments. My boyfriend made a chainmail pillow completely by hand, and I became slightly obsessed with the texture. Every time I walked past it I found myself staring and it and playing with it.

Eventually I put it on my scanner just to see what would happen.

The scan picked up every little ring. I like transforming things from my real life into patterns. I knew immediately I wanted to share it with Mail Club.

The sticker this month might be my favorite part though.

I drew a prince character with pink star eyes.

He started as a doodle in my journal. Then he became a sticker. Now he has become an entire little world in my head.

I think what I love most about him is that he exists because I stopped worrying about whether people would like my sketches.

A year ago I probably would've kept drawings like that to myself.

I would've convinced myself they weren't good enough. Not polished enough. Too weird or personal.

Mail Club has slowly changed that.

Every month I have to make something.

Every month I have to put it out into the world.

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One thing I've learned from this project is that people don't connect with perfection nearly as much as they connect with sincerity.

The thing that seems to resonate most every cycle has been the letter. I have gotten endless comments and messages from people about them getting emotional reading my letter. That has got to be the most rewarding feedback I've gotten since starting Prince of California. Never expected that kind of connection with people, but what else could I really want? It is so cool to connect with people all around the world.

This month's theme is about not being afraid to be seen trying.

Not waiting until you're the finished version of yourself before you go for it.

Not waiting until you're confident before you make the thing.

Not waiting until you're certain before you share it.

Because the truth is, most? all? of us are figuring it out as we go.

The artists you admire. The people you look up to.

The people making the things you love.

They're all just trying too. And maybe that's the whole point of life??? TRY the thing you want to try?? IDK! Why not, right?

Anyway, thank you for being here and listening to me ramble.

AND if you have been a Mail Club member at all the last 5 months...thank you for giving me a reason to keep making strange cute little things and sending them all around the world every month.

I'll see you in Cycle 6.

-Parker🜲

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