Let’s (re)connect the world
Become a member of a Kickstarter community connecting the world, one destination at a time!
Why this Kickstarter and why now?
Because connection with one another matters. And yet in this hyper-connected age, we’re growing farther apart.
We send 350 billion emails and 165 billion texts or chat messages every day, and we spend 40% of our waking hours looking at screens. Yet we feel increasingly isolated, alone. Folks, we’re living through an epidemic of loneliness.
A need for connection beyond bits and bytes
One solution is to spend less time typing with our thumbs and more time pausing to pick up a pen. To drop a note to a mentor to say, "Thank you for the impact you’ve had on my life," or, to let an elderly aunt know, “Thinking of you and sending love!", or to write a friend with Happy Birthday wishes (this is in addition to your text with its off-the-shelf floating balloons and exploding confetti canon…it’s not one or the other, but both!).
Turns out a handwritten note has more impact than we realize. For the recipient, and for us.
Because researchers have uncovered that the simple act of receiving a handwritten note in the mail improves our mental health (a boost of 65% per the United States Postal Service, and a 74% increase in morale according to the Royal Mail).
What’s more, the simple act of putting pen to paper and sending a personal note makes us feel better, too. Touching stationery and writing by hand, vs. tapping on glass activates areas of the brain otherwise dormant when we ‘communicate’ via text and emojis.
My Kickstarter campaign is tailor-made for a world in need of personal connection outside of bits and bytes.
Nearly 45,000 reasons to connect
Connection between people and with places is why over the past 30+ years I’ve created and gifted more than 40,000 travel photocards to family, friends and co-workers. In fact, more than 3/4 of those cards have gone to professional peers, most of them on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn, of course, is an excellent example of the power of connection!)
Journeys-in-an-envelope
My travel photocards are ideal for a number of reasons. The photography is of the world’s most inspiring travel destinations, and the lab process I use results in prints that shimmer with a bespoke depth. The stories printed on the back spur dreams of travel and deeper understanding of the world. And the included quotations bring additional insight and context. Plus, the linen paper is elegant to write on and a pleasure to hold. Finally, every frameable photocard is hand signed by me.
Nearly 45,000 photocards later I’m proud to offer this Kickstarter program to my LinkedIn peers. Connecting the wider world with real places and their stories is as easy as writing a quick note and putting a stamp on an envelope. Let’s join forces to make the world a little smaller by sharing a thousand worlds, one journey-in-an-envelope at a time!
Five ways to back the project
My Kickstarter program is designed for backers to receive a photocard-of-the-month. There are five ways to become part of this growing community.
Travel Insighter + Fun Rewards
In addition to the travel photocards is a monthly ’Travel Insighter’ bulletin + fun rewards like waterproof stickers for your laptop or Stanley tumbler, all to show your passion for travel and sharing the excitement that experiencing, or even dreaming of other lands and cultures inspires.
Won’t you please join me on this journey? Thank you, Fellow Traveler!
Mark G Murray
Travel Photographer and Essayist
Owner, Vast Compass
Proprietor, VastCompassShop on Etsy