Postcrossing Blog

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

Recently, Barbara (bjhowden) wrote to us about a theme she suggests in her profile for people writing to her: what are your earliest memories? Over time, a lot of people have answered the prompt, and she shared some of the themes with us—the birth of siblings, time with grandparents, pranks played as a child, and sometimes ones which are more bittersweet or painful. Either way, a lot of people seem to want to talk about it.

It’s a lovely project, and we’d like to invite everyone to participate this month in the postcards you write!

Both of my earliest memories are from when I was just barely two years old, so I’ve often been asked if I’m sure I really remember, and don’t just know the story. But my family are pretty certain that I do, because I wasn’t told the story. I remembered it myself, and only shared the fact that I remembered it writing-promptswith my mother much later. It’s surprisingly vivid still, all the same; I remember my grampy (my father’s father) holding me and teaching me to make a strong Lego house by overlapping the bricks instead of just clipping them one on top of the other in a column. My other very early memory is about him as well, probably a few days later since he was no longer sitting up.

As you might have guessed, my grampy died not long after; I count myself very fortunate that I have these precious memories! Funnily enough, I also remember teaching my younger sister to build a secure Lego foundation, in the same way, some years later. So in a way, Grampy taught both of us, even though he didn’t meet my sister.

What about you? Are your earliest memories something important, or something small? How old are you in your earliest memory? We’d love to hear your reminisces on the cards you write this month—and in the comments here too, if you like!

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

Happy New Year, everyone! 🎉 As we step into 2025, we invite you to take a moment to reflect on the beauty and creativity that inspires us — and what better way than by sharing our favorite pieces of art?

Art has a magical way of connecting us to emotions, memories, and stories. Whether it’s a painting, sculpture, photograph, or even a doodle, art resonates differently with everyone. It could be something you’ve admired in a museum, a piece you’ve stumbled across in a small gallery, or even a cherished creation made by a loved one.

What makes it special to you? Is it the artist’s unique technique, the colors that seem to come alive, or the story behind the creation? Maybe it reminds you of a special time in your life, or perhaps it’s simply something that makes you happy every time you see it.

Feel free to share the details on the postcards you send out this month! If it’s a painting, what does it look like? If it’s a song or performance, what emotions does it evoke? Maybe you could describe how you first encountered it, or why it holds such a personal meaning for you. Art, like postcards, has the power to bridge distances and spark conversations — so let your favorite piece inspire your next card!

Here’s to a year filled with creativity, connection, and beautiful postcards. Happy writing, and may your postcards carry a little piece of art across the world.

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

It’s not surprising that many of our members love stamps. Some collect stamps, others are just fascinated by the variety that’s out there. So that’s this month’s writing prompt!

At the moment, I have a few sets of stamps available. For the UK, I have some first class stamps from the Christmas 2024 collection, and a set of stamps which celebrate the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows, an iconic aerobatic display team who fly aircraft in close formation and do tricks in the air. Somewhere I still have one stamp left over from Christmas 2023, which I’m saving for a postcard to my grandmother.

For international mail, I need to stock up soon, as you can see! Right now I’m using stamps from the Tutankhamen set, which show a boat model and a guardian statue from Tutankhamen’s tomb. They’re kind of old, and don’t cover full postage, so I use “makeup value” stamps to pay the full postage. The 50p ones still show the Queen’s head for now, but some of the stamps in my photo (like the Christmas 2024 ones and the Red Arrows set) have King Charles III’s head now.

I do have a couple of odd stamps left over—a stamp from the Pride set and one from the recent dinosaur set—that I’m saving for when I get an address of someone who looks like they’d especially appreciate them.

What about you? Do you have any exciting stamps at the moment? Any stamps with stories? We’d love to hear about them here, and you can also write about them on your postcards this month if you’re stumped for what to say!

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

I write a lot about Wales, where my family come from and where I went to university, but this week’s theme allows me to give my current home a bit further north a little love. This time, the prompt is about where you live!

I recently got myself a bicycle to give myself a bit more range for travelling, meaning I’ve been able to go to the library a lot more frequently, run errands without needing my wife to drive me around, etc, etc. Which led to my discovery that my area has a lovely network of cycle paths! They start in convenient spots off the main roads and they’re well-maintained, which is already a lot better than I remember it being back when I lived in Cardiff, but they’re also objectively lovely places to be. The paths are surrounded by trees, and you can hear streams trickling past, hear the birds, and see squirrels scampering swiftly across the path. A bit of reading around told me that they’re actually intended as wildlife corridors, allowing animals to move around the urban landscape better by connecting up different parts of the landscape.

I didn’t know anything about the cycle paths before getting a bike, so it’s been lovely to explore and figure out where they all go. Sometimes I just pick one and follow it just for the fun of exploration!

Now it’s your turn! What do you love about the area you live in? I’m sure there’s something! You can talk about it in the comments here, or write about it on your postcards this month.

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

August was my birthday month, and my wedding anniversary also falls in August, so I had a well-fed month! For my birthday, my family always choose the same place to celebrate, so I was wondering about everyone else… which leads in to this prompt.

Both me and my sister always celebrate our birthdays with food from a Cantonese restaurant in Wakefield, called (perhaps a little non-originally) Pagoda. Usually when we go in person we get a banquet meal for the group, because (with a couple of substitutions) it contains all our favourites: chicken and sweetcorn soup, sesame prawn toast and crispy wontons for appetizers, crispy duck with pancakes… and that’s all before we get to the main course, where we usually get a few options. Personally, I gravitate toward lemon or orange chicken, along with a little bit of sweet and sour pork—though I do like stealing the onions from everyone else’s choices, too.

And finally we do like to wrap up with dessert, even if it doesn’t really match the meal: my sister likes a slice of lemon meringue pie, while I usually either plump for the same or go for a slice of chocolate fudge cake. After that, we just about need to be rolled out of our seats and off to the car to get home… and I don’t think any of us eat much the next day. There’s a reason it’s a special treat!

Are you feeling hungry yet? I think I am… Tell us about your favourites here, or consider writing about them on your postcards this month if you’re stumped for what to say!