People are going back to the art of letter writing, thanks to art mail clubs. Ironically, through the social media. Mostly based on monthly subscriptions, art mail clubs are a physical mail service in which artists deliver curated artworks, small keepsakes and letters to members, mostly via post. We catch up with a few youngsters who run these clubs.
An envelope of happiness
The joy of receiving a letter, the intimacy of reading something written and sent solely to you was immense for Megha Saji. The 24-year-old artist from Thiruvananthapuram wants to share this feeling with others through her fledgling art mail club.
Megha Saji’s Kumo Art Mail Club sends a letter, a painted postcard, a bookmark, and a few stickers to the subscribers
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Megha first came across this idea on Instagram. “I was not aware of mail clubs or how it works. While scrolling, I saw the account of a foreigner who was engaged in this. I got hooked to the idea and wanted to do something similar here,” says Megha, who operates the club, Kumo Art Mail Club, from her Instagram page, @measthetic_.
Megha Saji
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Every month, Megha sends her subscribers an envelope consisting of a letter, a painted postcard, a bookmark, and a few stickers. “I am planning to add more elements each month,” she says.
Megha Saji’s Kumo Art Mail Club sends a letter, a painted postcard, a bookmark, and a few stickers to the subscribers
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After enquiring about the addressee and sharing updates on her life, Megha’s letters usually delve into some incidents of her life, explaining it as a story with a message. “Many reply after receiving the mail, expressing their happiness,” she says. For now, Megha has decided to continue with the mail club. “I get warm responses and my subscribers are rising each month. I want to build a community of friends,” she adds.
Someone to write to
Theertha IP’s art mail has a bunch of surprises for the subscribers
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Theertha IP, a freelance artist from Kannur, officially launched her art mail club in December last year. “I always liked sending mail — letters, postcards and birthday cards. Initially, I used to send postcards to myself, then slowly started sending postcards with my paintings to my friends. After sharing this on my Instagram account, @vridha.bytheertha, I started getting requests for mail from others,” says the 26 year old, who runs the brand Vridha, which is into handcrafted and upcycled items such as journals, postcards, giftables etc.
The envelopes, with four to six items, including a letter, a painted postcard and other surprise elements, reach Theertha’s subscribers once a month.
The contents change every month, making each envelope a bundle of surprises. “I don’t follow any theme. A conversation that stayed with me, a sight which caught my eye, souvenirs from places I visit, handcrafts, stickers — all become part of the mail,” she says.
Theertha IP’s art mail has a bunch of surprises for the subscribers
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“My writings usually contain some prompts asking subscribers to try a few activities — anything they wish, maybe something creative or even travelling,” mentions Theertha, who adds that they often write back to share the results. “Many are interested in writing letters. Often, they don’t have anyone to share this passion with. My aim is to build a collective where they can enjoy this together,” adds Theertha.
Theertha IP
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To the little women
When Maria Shibu, 22, took a gap year after graduation, all she wanted was to explore herself. While understanding her interests and wants, this Kottayam-native found a way to help other women find their me time — all with the support of an envelope full of whimsical surprises.
Through her women-only art mail club, Little Women Mail Club (@_mariashibu_), Maria wants to create a safe space to help women find some time for themselves.
Maria Shibu
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Each month, subscribers of the club receive an envelope for this purpose. A newspaper with crosswords, fun activities, checklist for the month, movie and music suggestions, an artwork, a postcard, a photograph, an activity card and a handwritten letter are part of the art mail.
“There is a theme for every month, and all works are curated accordingly,” says Maria. All elements of the package are carefully chosen.
While the newspaper suggests ways to engage ourselves without electronic devices, through the self-made art, Maria wishes to gift the subscriber something unique and solely theirs.
Curated components of the art mail sent by Maria Shibu to the subscribers of her art mail club, Little Women Mail Club
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“The idea behind the photograph is to share the memory of a place,” she says. The photos shared are mostly taken by Maria and sometimes by two of her friends, who help her with this endeavour.
Published – October 08, 2026 12:12 pm IST
