Cards Against Humanity is probably not the first thing you think of when you want to express your innermost thoughts and deep feelings to your friends. But if you think about it, if you want to say something attention-grabbing, direct, and a little bit funny, there’s no better team to turn to.
Enter Trin Garritano and Jenn Bane, hosts of the Friendshipping podcast and part of the Cards Against Humanity team. The duo have spearheaded a Kickstarter campaign for a series of Friendship Postcards to reach out to your friends with all of the sincerity and none of the awkwardness.
Friendship Postcards get to the point quickly thanks to the bold, bright designs by Lauren Gallagher (the lead designer on Cards Against Humanity) and other amazing artists lending their considerable talents to the project. “I just love how postcards are so glance-able–you know right away you are receiving a message that can only be supportive or funny,” says Jenn Bane.
Backers receive a box of 60 eye-catching cards with 30 designs, two cards for each design. Postcards feature sentiments like “sorry for that dumb thing I said” and “I’m thinking of you in this difficult time, but we don’t need to hang out or anything, just do your thing.”
Sure, staying in touch has never been easier thanks to Facebook, email, and text messages. But while it’s simple to send a quick “hi” by text, it tends to lose a personal touch–and can often be misconstrued. Plus, who doesn’t love getting a surprise in the mailbox?
“For me, emails and texts are just so common in my work life that I now have a Pavlovian response of sheer terror whenever I get a bloop or beep from my phone,” says Trin Garritano. “Getting mail that’s definitely good news, that doesn’t look like a parking ticket I forgot about, is an incredible change of pace.”
Even better, your friends won’t feel obligated to respond to every point you make in your rambling “hey, how’s it going?” email. “There’s also no huge burden to reply, which is important to me,” Bane says. “When I’m stressed and anxious I like knowing my friends are there even though I lack the bandwidth to reach back.”
Starting a conversation without being awkward might sound like an unattainable goal for some, but Friendship Postcards make it possible for just about everyone. The campaign reached full funding in just 8 hours, but there’s still time to get your own set.
What would your perfect postcard say? Let us know in the comments!
All images: Friendship Postcards / Art by Lauren Gallagher