Zero Waste Enthusiastic
Email and online messaging may be the norm of the 21st century but good old snail mail still has its merits. In particular, getting something written or drawn by hand adds a special, personal touch to the message that you just can’t get from online channels.
If you want something eco-friendly and sweet to send this Valentines’ Day, why not try Tellinga? With this company, you can share illustrated memories with your loved ones. Tellinga postcards can even serve as heirlooms and memorabilia.
Read on to know more about this revolutionary snail mail company.
What is Tellinga?
It has been apparent the greeting cards and letters on this day and age have become outdated, says Chad Cooper, Entertainment Editor of The Examiner. With this being the case, it inspired Rice University graduate Alex Kurkowski to launch Tellinga –a platform that creates personalized hand-drawn greeting cards that tell your story through snail mail. He founded it in 2018. This hobby turned business is based in Houston and creates an entirely new approach to keeping in contact with loved ones.
According to Dallas Innovates editorial intern, Kathryn Chavez, Tellinga brings “communication back to the basics through personalized greeting cards”. Kurkowski stated that Tellinga adds excitement to greeting cards again, by reframing the entire idea of what a greeting card should do and how it should make you feel. This is due to the fact that generic greeting cards are made without any real personalization or meaning.
Tellinga not only reimagines greeting cards but also provides younger artists a chance to demonstrate their skills and express themselves by sending 100 percent hand-drawn storybook greeting cards as unique gifts by snail mail.
Illustrated Postcards: why are they great as gifts?
When it comes to personalization and customization, Glenda Cates of Mommies Reviews shared that the illustrated postcards that Tellinga offers help you tap back into the tangible and traditional by providing a product that you can touch and feel on a deeper level rather than staring at another screen. Alex Kurkowski also stated that these fully customizable postcards allow the customer to have whatever they want. Since the messages are told in story form, they are more heartfelt and personal than standardized cards.
A customer shared that Tellinga allowed her to send out an epistolary love letter to her partner who is in Africa while she is in Colorado. The customized card features the couple staring in the night sky at O’reins belt and reminded them that their love knows no distance. Another customer also expressed his love and adoration for his wife’s 40th birthday. The card illustrated his amazing wife as a “supermom” dressed as a superhero. This also includes the whole family – three children and the lovely couple.
Nonetheless, messages can be fun, dramatic, thoughtful… anything. Alex Kurkowski proudly says, “Tellinga turns the greeting card into an experience, an event that’s prolonged over time and can be cherished or framed as a memory”.
How does Tellinga work?
The way Tellinga works is generally summarized in 3 steps. Firstly, the customer selects the length of the story, it can range from one-part stories to twelve-part stories. Secondly, the customer also provides a description and upload the photo/s of choice. Thirdly, artists create hand-drawn stories and ship out each part every week until the package ends. This means the customer can choose how many times the recipient receives the personalized handdrawn cards.
Tellinga sends long distance relationship gifts through traditional snail mail. Each image is hand-drawn by a talented Tellinga artist on a 5″ x 7″ premium 32 pt thick greeting card-sized postcard with cool red edges. It is then placed in a 5.25″ x 7.25″ brown grocery bag style envelope with the customer’s address used as the return address.
Chad Cooper also says that Tellinga mail also provides additional uses, including framing, personalized art, social media profile pictures, and you can even create your own reusable storybook for your coffee table or book collection.
Is Tellinga sustainable and doing good in its business practices?
A sustainable business or green business addresses two main categories, namely, (1) the effect business has on the environment and (2) the effect business has on society, according to Alexandra Spiliakos of Harvard Business School Online.
In terms of being environmentally friendly, it can be stated that delivering and shipping such postcards could contribute to carbon emissions, but its packaging is purely Kraft paper and even the cards are made of paper – all compostable.
Tellinga definitely provides a positive impact on the community, especially in this digital age where personalized letters have lost their meaning. It is all about “offering a meaningful way to connect with family and friends”.
In their business, they also help support the young artists still attending or graduating from college who usually have piles of debt and are looking for stable financial income. Tellinga currently employs 26 collegiate artists across America. By being an artist in Tellinga, these artists can freely express themselves and give back to the community.
Moreover, this company also supports various causes, as every card shipped helps raise funds to fight Alzheimer’s disease, support breast cancer research, or treat those impacted with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This is through the use of Semi-Postal or fundraising stamps on every card shipped.
Should You Order A Tellinga Postcard series?
Ordering a Tellinga Postcard series is beneficial in many ways since it adds color and excitement to cards once again like in the old-fashioned days. It is all about stepping away from digital screens for a few minutes and enjoying the rush of being able to feel the message on a deeper level rather than staring at another screen, says Glenda Cates.
Moreover, creating unforgettable and irreplaceable moments not only goes to the receiver of the mail. This is because supporting such independently owned businesses enables you to support various charities and struggling artists. In the end, ordering these postcard series will also allow you to make your feelings and messages clearer to remind your loved ones that they hold a special place in your life.
