After introducing my Postcard Project in a village in India, where I transformed collected waste into postcards, I was struck by how deeply interconnected our world truly is. These postcards were not just sent as art-they were a reminder that everything we do ripples outward, touching others across the planet.
One of my favorite things about the Postcard Project is its link to the postal system-a global web that connects us all, no matter where we are. From Australia to Portugal, Finland, Sweden, and both coasts of the United States, my postcards have traveled vast distances, carried by the hands of postal workers, passing through different cities, towns, and villages. Every time I hear that one of my postcards has reached its destination, it’s a reminder of how small our world really is.
It amazes me that a postcard, created from waste paper collected in a small town in India, can (after being cleaned and glued) make its way into the hands of someone thousands of miles away. This journey mirrors the way our planet functions: interconnected and shared. Just as my postcards traveled the globe, so do the effects of our actions. What happens in one corner of the world affects others in places we may never even visit.
For example, the litter I collected in Gandevi might have been forgotten or ignored by passersby, but left untouched, that waste could end up far beyond the village’s borders. Whether through wind, rain, or rivers, pollution doesn’t stay local-it moves and impacts ecosystems, wildlife, and people far away.
This is why the Postcard Project is about more than just art or recycling. It’s about understanding that our actions matter, no matter where we are. We all live on this planet together, and the choices we make today will impact not only our neighbors but people in other countries, continents, and future generations.
If a postcard can travel the world, so can the effects of our environmental decisions. Whether it’s picking up trash or making sustainable choices, even the smallest actions can make a big difference. And just like the postal system that connects us all, our responsibility to take care of the Earth is something we all share, no matter where we live.
By sending a piece of the world in the form of a postcard, I hope to remind others of this shared responsibility. If we all take a little time to care for our corner of the world, imagine the collective impact we can have.
