When Frank Warren started the PostSecret art project in 2004, he decided to explore the relationships between ordinary people and the secrets each of them carried. Two weeks ago, when I went to the PostSecret@USC event hosted at Bovard, he explained how he started off the project by just walking around his town handing out postcards to total strangers. One side was completely blank while on the other, Warren laid out the instructions for the project. They were simple: the blank side of the postcard was a canvas for the participant to divulge a secret of theirs in some kind of creative manner. After they were finished, they could send the card back to Warren and share their secret. There were no restrictions on what the secret could be, as long as it was true and the artist had never told anyone else about it. When Warren received the postcards, he would put them up on the PostSecret blog. Then the project started to grow, and several years later, thousands of secrets have been sent to the mailbox in Germantown, Maryland. The project has grown beyond the Internet; four books of secrets have been published, and the band The All-American Rejects used postcards sent in to PostSecret as the backdrop in their music video for the single “Dirty Little Secret.” In addition, the site has raised money for Hopeline: the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and links to other wellness groups.
When I went to the event at Bovard, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been checking the PostSecret blog every week for about a year or two, and though I liked the site, I knew it had its problems. For one thing, after a while, the secrets start to become repetitive. Every so often, there is one really inspiring or funny card that I really like or identify with, but the majority of them run together in my mind with nothing really standing out. Another problem I found with the site can best be described by a conversation I once had with a friend. Talking with him one day in class while simultaneously surfing the Internet on my laptop, I revealed that I was a PostSecret fan. My friend recoiled in disgust, stating that he hated the site because it was only a bunch of whiny emo kids seeking attention to validate their existence. He then pointed me in the direction of lolsecretz, a parody site that emphasizes this particular theory through the use of cats and poor grammar. While I personally don’t feel this way, as evidenced by the fact that I still frequent the blog every so often, sometimes the cards do have a certain quality that makes me want to say, “Jesus, get over yourself,” especially if I’m in a bad mood. However, then I remember it’s less about the people who see the cards and more about the individuals sending them in, the cathartic effect of letting go of these secrets to someone, even if it is an anonymous blog.
Warren talked about this at PostSecret@USC, how releasing the things we keep inside to the world at large eventually sets us free. The event was actually a very pleasant and personable one, simply a sit-down talk with Frank Warren about the origins of the project, some cards that for one reason or another couldn’t go in the books, and, the highlight of the evening, a town-hall type discussion and confession of secrets. This was the only part of the night in my opinion that reminded me of the above problems I have with the site, mostly because it felt like an AA meeting (“Hi, my name is Bob, and I’m an alcoholic.” “Thank you for sharing that with us, Bob.”), but that was to be expected. However, I do have to give credit to the people who went up to the microphone credit for telling their secrets in front of hundreds of people, from the girl who admitted she has only had one boyfriend because he abused her to the guy who gets annoyed at his iTunes for recording the number of times a song has played as being indicative of the songs he likes most (even if it’s just on shuffle). And even though I have my issues with the PostSecret project, I know I’m still going to check in every week for new secrets. Maybe I’ll even send in a couple of my own.
7 comments:
I just spent the last hour reading postsecret blog and the collection on MySpace. It's fascinating to read the things that people have to say or the things they think about. A friend of mine gave me a PostSecret book in highschool and there are still secrets I think about from it.
I think that the redundencies you mentioned are valid, but maybe PostSecret is a way for people to feel like someone cares. Frank has provided a way for people to "talk" to someone, regardless of who is listening.
I like that postsecret incorporates an element of art-- allowing people to artistically express their feelings rather than writing it down alone.
I wonder what percentage of people we see and pass on a daily basis have sent a postcard to postsecret.
I haven't. I don't know anyone who has. But then again, I'd never really know!
I have been a dedicated fan of Frank Warren and his PostSecret concept for some time now. I like millions check the site every Sunday for the updates. I was beyond excited when he announced his appearance at Bovard and then was devastated to miss it because my 6:30 to 9:30 class that night turned out to be mandatory. However, everyone that I spoke to that did go said that the night was in many ways interesting and inspiring. I firmly believe that secrets are a larger part of the human condition because we all have them. There are times that I completely relate to those which are posted and other times when I can only imagine what they are truly about. Yet somehow I always manage to find beauty in each secret given that someone had the courage to create and send it in. I have yet to do so myself but every Sunday after visiting PostSecret I think that soon enough…maybe just one day…I too will mail in a secret.
The concept of PostSecret is a truly fascinating subject. The ideas presented of how people feel the need to "talk" to someone is a fundamental desire in us all. I feel like it presents an interesting topic of discussion in terms of being able to open themselves up in anonymity. And it also allows those that read these secrets a type of voyeuristic insight into other peoples lives.
The art angle of PostSecret is especially valid in the interesting to consider as well. Each piece is organic and carries a certain amount of weight to the reader. It presents a point of interest that the author found important enough to put down and send out. In a way it brings people closer in knowing that we all share a common desire to connect.
I really wish I had heard about this event, because whenever I hear about the PostSecret Project, I wonder what other people say and what I would say. I definitely understand the catharsis of letting a secret go, even if its to a total stranger because that way it's much easier than letting it fester inside. But I still wonder if there are some secrets that you can't even verbalize on an anonymous postcard. Ones that could land you in jail fall into this category, but also secrets that you have suppressed in your mind.
After seeing all the cards in the video, I'm really amazed not only by the unusual sentiments but the artwork as well. Some people put a grand total of 5 seconds into it, but others really expressed themselves artistically to help explain their secret. Perhaps this is another part of the catharsis.
I've been a weekly visitor to the PostSecret site for over five years now. Such a simple concept, with such an ardent response. It really taps into a very human concept: vulnerability. What is really surprising is the community it has created. It's like internet therapy -- a communal aspect of release of deep burdens and a sense of togetherness by posting some silent, but universal secrets.
I myself have sent secrets into the site. None of them have ever been posted, but it is nice to know that someone else, whether Frank or the mailman who took it, took on some of my secret, easing my burden and granting me some release.
I also find it very interesting how I think of certain people when I see some postcards. I know for a fact that once, I definitely knew the person who sent it in. Even though I never told her I knew her secret, I hope she found some peace in voicing her confession
I am very curious to know what motivated Frank Warren to start this project. I agree that PostSecret is definitely an effective utility for people to anonymously share their secrets. The burden of secrets can often be unbearable so releasing these memories to the world can be, as you stated, quite cathartic. It’s a way for people to face their past and overcoming their fears, regrets, dilemmas, etc. I think it’s interesting how this project challenges the definition of a secret. Is it still considered a secret if the whole world knows about it? Yet, we have no one to attribute the secret to since all submissions are anonymous. Which part of the secret is most important: the person(s) the secret affects, or the secret itself?
Post a Comment