“Sometimes when we think we are keeping a secret, it is really keeping us.” – Frank Warren.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see Frank Warren speak live at a PostSecret event on campus. It was the perfect mix of everything I hoped it would be – inspiring, emotional, and life changing. To give a brief background on PostSecret, it is “an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.” Select secrets are either posted to his website or included in his PostSecret books, museum exhibits and/or events.
Frank originally started PostSecret in November of 2004. He claims he had this “crazy idea” in which he printed out 3,000 self-addressed post cards, blank on one side with instructions on the other side. He then went up to strangers on the street and asked them to anonymously share an artful secret they had never shared with anyone before. With a little encouragement, the response he received was overwhelming, and it was then that PostSecret was truly born. Ever since, each Sunday he posts some of the secrets he has received to his blog. PostSecret has been become this “safe haven” of sorts that gives people the opportunity to anonymously send in their secrets – ranging from funny to criminal to sexual, and everything in between. No restrictions are made regarding the content of the secrets, except that the secret must be something completely truthful, and one that has never been told to anyone. Much of Frank’s work also focuses on suicide prevention, and his website offers resources for those who might need help and/or someone to talk to.
For me, having the opportunity to finally attend an event after all these years was incredibly meaningful. Frank shared with us his PostSecret story and why he originally decided to start the project, secrets that have never been told, and he ended the talk by inviting people from the audience to share a secret of their own. Although only a few brave souls decided to do so, I have nothing but respect and admiration for them. Sharing a secret is not an easy feat, especially in a room full of strangers.
Ever since high school, I have been an avid reader of PostSecret, and I enjoy my Sunday morning ritual of reading the secrets while sipping a cup of coffee. There are some secrets that make me laugh, cry, hope, and dream. This community that has formed through PostSecret truly allows people to cope with certain things going on in their lives by relating to what others are sharing. The secrets allow people to realize that there are others out there who are going through the same trials and stipulations that they do, which hopefully helps them to understand that they are not alone.
If you’re interested, Frank currently has five books out, all of which are a compilation of secrets he has received over the years:
1. PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives
My Secret: A PostSecret Book
The Secret Lives of Men and Women: A PostSecret Book
A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book
Confessions on Life, Death, & God
* All images taken from www.postsecret.com
National Hopeline Network (HOPE): 1.800.suicide (784 – 2433)
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Denise Schenasi is a senior at the University of Oregon majoring in Public Relations and Advertising. Her greatest passion is writing – she loves everything that writing represents and the endless possibilities it offers. As a Los Angeles native, she has quite the obsession with the outdoors, especially the beach. Denise also enjoys running outdoors (when the Eugene weather permits), exercising in general, coffee, photography, and new experiences. Oh, and she loves animals… a lot. Follow her on Twitter: @deniseschenasi and check out her blog.