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The Love Letter Project was born on a recent trip to Paris, where she found a collection of letters sent by two people living in different French cities in the 1940s. Martin said it was inspiring how she got to know them and watch their relationship evolve through their correspondence. She began feeling an attachment to the couple, even though she has no connection with them other than through the words they shared.

Photo by Liam Richards / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

“I just thought this is impossible in our time in history,” Martin said. “We can send all these digital things, but the likelihood of them lasting or somebody finding them in an old stamp shop is nearly impossible.”

Martin said she is trying to encourage people in Saskatoon to mark this moment in their lives on paper, building a connection in the same way past generations did. She hopes “bribing” residents with a free piece of original art will make these connections more memorable, but noted simply taking the time to choose special paper or write with a nice pen will often make a letter feel more special for both the recipient and the writer.

Martin has already heard positive feedback from some letter recipients. She said it’s nice to know something as simple as a letter can make a person’s day.

The project will only be in place until Valentine’s Day, but Martin hopes it might inspire people to keep writing and continue the tradition of handwritten letters well into the future.

“It’s really easy to send an emoji, but the investment into the person by sending a letter — it’s pretty huge.”

epetrow@postmedia.com

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