Mail Art 365 Follow-up

I've decided to periodically check back in with some folks who have completed their 365 projects...

My mother Mim Golub Scalin recently completed her project to create mail art every day for a year! She started on December 1, 2010 inspired by fellow mail artist Andy Hoang who initiated the MailArt365 project.

I just love the sweet face on this one, and use it as an avatar sometimes.

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? The best thing I learned was that having a daily practice was a very centering/grounding thing. No matter what was going on in the world or my life, it got put on hold, as it were, while I  made Mail Art. It became my meditation practice, my quiet time. Even while traveling.

This was done by covering a board with scraps then cutting the board up. I liked the randomness.

In what ways did the project change your life? This is a difficult question. Perhaps not a change, but an affirmation, that making something daily is important for me, and that I can do it. No excuses, just get in the studio and make something. I think the knowledge now that I can, and did, dedicate myself to that is reassuring.

This just makes me feel happy

Now what? I'll continue to make Mail Art. I was doing it before the project began. I probably won't scan and post it regularly, however. I'm thinking of a new project, something to do with childhood memories of clothing my mother made for me, things I had in my childhood and the memories attached to them, the apartment building I lived in that no longer exists, something along those lines. I'm not sure of the format yet, but this seems to be where I'm headed. Of course, this could change if another idea pops up.

This is an early Tiny Town one & the scale change is perfect for me.

See all of her mail art on her blog HERE.

This was part of a series using water soluble graphite. I loved the way it looks.

Using old photos and negatives was very satisfying.