2 A million postcards show us what we need

In many cases, we are turning to one another virtually.

We share our stories in forums, reply to comments on blogs, and even anonymously mail our confessions to strangers on postcards.

Really?

Yes, Frank Warren earned the nickname “America’s Most Trusted Stranger” after he started a viral art project called PostSecret in 2005. Every Sunday on PostSecret.com he publishes a curated series of anonymous confessions mailed to him on postcards. He has received over a million postcards to date, which have helped him create the largest ad-free blog in the world with nearly a billion views. PostSecret has also spawned a series of bestselling books and a roving art installation that’s been showcased everywhere from the Museum of Modern Art to the Smithsonian to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.

All from contemporary confession.

All from collecting and sharing confessions and secrets from people around the world.

PostSecret is a striking and poignant reflection of the things we are bottling up inside. It helps show us that we need to reveal in order to heal.

I’m very thankful to Frank Warren, who graciously curated a little six-page spread of PostSecret postcards just for us right here. A mini–art installation in the middle of the book! Here it is: