I have a notebook titled "Things I'll never say out loud" and it's just full of letters when I'm mad at someone, when I have a crush on someone, etc

I love writing letters to my internet friends, like we've never even met each other in real life, but we can physically hold the same piece of paper though in different periods of time, that is just so magical

I started writing letters to my friends after we all moved away to different colleges, they are such a high quality form of communication, I love doing it. It’s like sending someone a page from your journal, it’s really meaningful to re-read them later

When im on vacation i always make sure to send my grandma a postcard. I put as much information on the paper as i can, tell her what im doing, eating, the weather and what not. There's something wonderful about describing my adventures on paper while being "in the moment". Last week she told me how fond she was of my letters, because it showed her i thought about her on my travels

The letter “R” in Ruby’s study space. Legendary. I once tried to write a letter in Russian to Victoria Komova after the 2012 olympics and told her I wished her well, and Dementiava and all her teammates, and had it address to the Itsentre Gymnastica (Gymnastics Center) in Russia with postage paid and everything but then I chickened out and didn’t send it. Komova tripped over a broom and her career was over shortly after this. I think this is like the butterfly effect or chaos theory type thinking or something like that, but I wonder if she would have gotten that mail.

I’ve used FutureMe for a good 3/4 years now! Every New Year’s Eve I write one to myself to open the following year, and so each year I get to read a letter from my past self, see what’s changed and write one to myself in a years time. Lovely to see what questions I had for myself, what my priorities were at that time and reflect on the past year and what I want to happen in the year to come!🌟

I love that you have a passion for such a beautiful art form! I have a few friends in Korea and we’ve been writing letters back and forth for 3 years. It’s always heartwarming to see a new letter from her each month 💜

I had over 150 penpals, from all over the world,when I was a teenager. 50 years later I am still writing to several of them. My best friend is my penpal, Susan and I treasure her letters. We write something to each other every day and mail a large tome when we receive the other’s letter. Then we begin again. It is so much better than writing in a diary because we get a response. Ruby, you remind me of myself at your age. I love your videos. From a 65 yr old lady from, the USA.

I am 60 years old now and i grew up writing letters to my best friend who moved away after highschool. There was nothing more exciting than seeing a letter in my mailbox from her. I have not experienced that feeling since. Texts and emails just don't cut it. Thanks for this video Ruby.

Dear Ruby, your soul is SO PURE! I recently sent my first letter for a friend who lives in the US, I live in Argentina and being able to connect in some way besides social media is just remarkable. Thank you for inspiring us with your videos. I really adore your new kind of content ❤️

I’ve developed some really special friendships through letter writing. Thank you for this beautiful and inspiring video!

I love writing and receiving letters, most of my letter writing friends are all over the world and sometimes it takes months to receive a letter😅 but it's so lovely to receive something in the post and as you say, read about moments that were preserved in writing within those letters❤

Such a lovely, relaxing video! Letter writing is one of my favourite things. I used to write letters and postcards a lot when I was a kid, and I started doing that again in the last couple years. It's such a nice way to slow down, take a breath and do something nice. It's like magic, that we can seal a moment in time and space into paper and send it on its way, taking a tiny sliver of your own spring, summer, autumn or winter and share it with someone you hold dear. Let the reader open a tiny time capsule. I especially love adding little trinkets inside the envelope as well, like stickers and analog photographs that I took and poems and pressed leaves and flowers.

I adore letter writing and its improved my creative writing significantly.

Letter writing is amazing, I love it so much. My friend recently migrated to Slovakia (from the Netherlands) and we keep in touch through email, text and other things, but also letter writing.

You are a new fond treasure. I’m 72 years of age and listening to your topic of writing is so delightful. As a young boy watching my mother write to her siblings was the only way to communicate. She had brothers and sisters totally seven. We were very a poor family and she couldn’t afford at that time the cost off long distance calls. So her letters were multiple pages depending on which family member. One favorite sister might be eight to ten pages in length. See let me practice my reading comprehension to read them as a child. Some were not permitted for adult content. But as the year’s passed and one by one of their passing Mom continued with those who were alive. It was a delightful experience to read their correspondence. Oh the stories they would share, as if I were living in their homes. We always had family reunions once a year, since most were in different states, and when attending You felt very much caught up on every aunt, uncle and cousins, with the letters that constantly were being sent. They have all passed away, but those letters were part of my past and memories that will last forever. You have reminded me of the cherished memories of my youth. I have enjoyed listening to your in-depth knowledge of the subject. Keep up the wonderful education to all who need to reach out and connect with others.

Thank you for sharing this with us. Two things, you don't need to use an envelope, you can just fold the writing paper and seal it - there are several good KZfaq instructions. Secondly, do you know about the hand written letter appreciation society? Please, do carry on hand writing and illustrating, it is so lovely to see in this busy and hectic instant society we are forced to dwell in.

I am an avid letter writer, and I cannot imagine a time when I haven't loved writing to others. This video expresses my sentiments about letters, and I am thrilled that you chose this topic.

You really managed to capture all the amazing and unique things about letters that make this form of writing so special for me and that I couldn't form into coherent thoughts, not to mention words myself. Thank you!

I absolutely agree also handwriting analysis can capture your mood while you were writing I have been writing letters for years.

When I was younger, my mom and I would write letters ✉️ to each other whenever I got in trouble and didn't know how to apologize ❤ She'd always remind me how much she loved me 😊 I LOVED this video. Happy to have discovered your channel this week 💗

I can’t believe you’re talking about futureme! This website has been a huge part of my life. My friend introduced it to me a long time ago and we wrote a few letters to each other in the past. The last one I got from him was three years after his death. I had no idea this letter was sent, and I cannot put into words how surreal that felt. I could hardly believe it was real. It’s one of my most precious memories that I’ll never forget. Now I only use futureme to write future letters to myself. I have a little tradition. Every last or first day of the year I’ll write a letter of everything I accomplished and that I’m proud of, and everything I hope to achieve for the following year. I just wrote one a few days ago. :)

Your passion is so clearly visible, and very inspiring

I sometimes write a letter because I have a friend who lives abroad and a friend in Sri Lanka, but it is still difficult to write in English, but I am trying to write a letter because I think it is a very beautiful person☺️

I really like the Wax Seal - I wish more things would come with them in the mail haha.. I think that makes letters more exciting to receive

Thankyou so much for making this video. I watched this and wrote a letter to my cousin. First letter I've written since 1993 lol

I would love a video where you share some of your favorite books about letter writing, both primary sources and theoretical texts.

such a nice well informed video. so nice and organized

Letters are some of the most influential literature in history. See the letters of Paul in the New Testament. You mentioned a World War II poet. Hugh Lofting was a British soldier in World War I, who wrote letters to his children in which he made up stories. They were published after the war as the Doctor Dolittle series. They were very popular for decades afterwards.

It’s so quick and easy to pound out a letter on email etc. but I always try to hand write my letters. They are much more personal and meaningful to the person you are writing. I like receiving letters that are written by hand so I’m always writing letters in hopes of receiving letters from friends and family.

i watched something the other day about writing a letter to a literary character - you then save them and read them again in the future. I might try to get in the habit of writing a letter to a character in every book i read.

I would love to write letters to people but I have no friends further away and as stamps are expensive it feels like a waste to write to people I see everyday. I don't really know what to do, but you are amazing and one of the most inspirational people, thank you Ruby xx

Since I was a child, I have always loved writing letters and took it up again a few years ago. I have written many letters to friends and family since 2020, however not one person has replied (via post) and some not even a text or email to acknowledge receipt. A long time afterward, I will breakdown (haha) and ask if they received it. They usually respond with elation how wonderful it was and thank me. I agree with you about enjoying the slowness and having patience around letter writing... I would add... to do it for your enjoyment and to send some love to another ...but not for the response back (because it may not come and you will set yourself up for tiny heartbreaks in expectations). Letters are gifts that you send off into the world ..from your heart to another... I love letter writing even when no one has the time or ability or whatever it is ... to write back to me. Getting a response back must be wonderful! I love this video, thank you so much!!

Thankyou for giving me the idea of writing for the future . I watched your video on the day our Queen Elizabeth passed away .I immediately wrote a letter containing my first thoughts on hearing the sad news . I wrote it for my future children ,grandchildren , great great grandchildren etc . I took it to our village post office and had it stamped with the picture of the Queen's head and franked with the date of the day she passed away and sent off to myself ..to be put away ..not to be opened for a very long time . I hope my future generation children will find it interesting to read . I will do another on the day of her funeral and another on our new King Charles Coronation Day . Thankyou for such a brilliant idea !

Oh, how I miss the days of pen pals! As a child of the 1970s, I remember the days when having a pen pal (or two, or three!) was very popular. Oh, the joy when a letter arrived! I used to write two girls in the UK (distant relatives... and I remember that they used the term "pen friend") and another girl in Wisconsin (I was/am in Michigan, USA). Last year, my mother gave me the letters I had written home while spending a term at a London university in 1983... what an interesting read they were! They brought back some wonderful memories. I do wish it were possible to find a good pen pal or two now... do you have any suggestions for adults seeking an international pen pal?

Sorry if it's rude to ask, but is there any possibility of writing you a letter? Not in hopes of it being answered, just a thank you note for what you do here. I follow you for some years now and your channel is my comfort place. Maybe there is some kind of business address so you don't have to reveal your home address?

I ve Always loved letters. Been writing them since a child. I have made some great friendships this way and even though many pen pals I've lost, the letters remain and we remember each other. And one of them is one of my bff. But I've written them to teachers too or someone who was meaningful to me or to my future self and it was great (5years span). I've written them to my parents as gifts or just to express how I felt and I couldn't say out loud. I was never good at speaking, I get nervous and sound much less deep. Letters has helped me a lot in my life I recommend it. Although it's hard to be intimate and more vulnerable in a way... It's still beautiful especially if you are creative about it!

When I attended my first meditation retreat, the teacher had us write letters to our future selves, reflecting on that weekend. One year later, the letter arrived in the mail. I so enjoyed that having both the opportunity to write down my thoughts in that moment and also to revisit them a year later.

Thank you for this video Ruby. It feels like that certain part of me awakens yet again and is seeking the experience from what was back then. It brings me so much joy to vicariously experience something wholesome and precious that makes me remember who I wanted to be. Thank you Ruby. I've missed you a lot. Much love and light 💜✨ Keep shining bright🌟💫✨

Thank you so much for this video! I had a tough day and it reminded me again that simple things like letter writing can have such a huge impact and incredible beauty! Small things like these make life worth living.

"i never met anyone who didn't want a letter from me" If I got a letter from Ruby Granger I would faint from joy🤭😱

What I love is that letters are something to hold onto. I have letters and cards from friends and family members that I have kept for years and they still mean so much to me. One of my closest friends passed away last year and I have years worth of her letters in a box under my bed and it is such a comfort. To read her words, even if it is mixed with sadness now, I am still grateful that I have the words she sent to me.

I love, love, love when I see younger people (younger than me! haha) falling in love with letter writing. It's exciting to think that letter writing is still such a cherished activity. In America, April is National Letter Writing Month and I wrote a letter every day for that month. :) It was great to build momentum and to continue with a letter or two a week for me. I remember when letters were the only way (besides phone calls) to keep in touch. Thank you so much for this lovely video and for loving letter writing, too.

Ruby I just wanted to say how much I love your new academic planner, I am so excited to start using it properly next week!

I have always enjoyed writing letters and it’s exciting to receive them. I like adding things like quotes, ink stamps, stickers, and seals.

I started writing my friends letters in January 2021 when we were all locked up inside. Since then I’ve gone on a year abroad to Belgium but I’ve never felt too far away from everyone as I get all the news and little moments shared with me when I open up the envelope. Loved the video! You were so right in saying how exciting the mystery of a letter can be. Coming home from a day at uni and finding a letter at my door made the toughest winter days at lot brighter :) !

I'm so grateful there are people like you in this world! Thank you for sharing your videos with us, I hope you never stop.

This video has given me such an appreciation for the art that is letter writing. 🌻 For 3 years I have been writing a letter to my future self for the end of the year. I wish they would bring letter writing back. Does writing poems in the forms of letters count as letters? 🙈

I've been considering writing a letter to a friend I haven't seen in a while - this video was probably a sign that I should ❤

One of my favorite things is hear you talking about your passions 🥺

I'd love you to do a video giving ideas of different things you can write about, I want to get into it and I just don't know what to write about!

Hi there, It was a lovely surprise to hear someone so young talk about letter writing so enthusiastically. I believe it is good for the soul and I have always come away feeling uplifted after posting my letters. One thing I have never thought about was actually including illustrations and suchlike - so thank you. There is one suggestion I would like to make about your presentation and that is to slow down when speaking. At times it’s fine but in some parts I couldn’t make out what you were saying which is a shame. Thanks for sharing and happy letter writing!

I've always wanted to have a french penpal, someone who's mother tongue is french but can speak English. I used to have two penpals in school, they were from France and we exchanged letter every so often when I was in the fourth grade (I had an extra one because I was good at language arts) despite how much I wanted to keep in contact with them I had no way of reaching out or an understanding of what the postal system was. And even now I don't have many friends. A few online, who I would love to send letters to, but there are many steps I have to take to properly obtain all the information and clearance to do so. I'm horrible at maintaining contact with people and drop off the map far too often but I feel letters would hold me to a better standing as it is something I genuinely enjoy. I also write letters to myself occasionally, they sit on a shelf and are a "break in case of emergencies" sort of thing. For a long while I struggled with suicidal thoughts and I still do from time to time. If it ever gets bad, they are there for me to crack open and read and look at the items I put in them. Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe :D

All of my pen-pals are overseas and so a reply usually takes 6 weeks. I keep a notebook with a page per month, ruled so I can list topics at the top as they come to mind, and record the dates letters are received and replied to in the bottom half. This helps me not to repeat myself, and as most topics are discussed with all recipients, it saves me making copies. If you worry about rain smudging your fountain penned addresses, rub your candle over the address once it is dry or blotted. Great video!

I LOVE your sealing wax set!!!

Ruby's new video notification = Day better 🥰

One other idea for letter writing that you could share is to write to isolated seniors!

I would love to know more about your favourite letter writing supplies and why you buy the from, eg paper, stickers, stamps, wax seals xx

I follow this habit ever since u mentioned it It's such a good technique of just letting my future self know where I was stuck at a specific point of life Thank u a lot💜💜 Sending lots of life

i love futureme! i received one this morning and i love seeing what’s changed from my life a few years ago, and what i predicted correctly.

Lovely channel rich in nostalgia and beautiful to watch, thank you Ruby. Letters can even have the power to shape our world. A large portion of the Bible ( worlds best selling book), especially the New Testament is actually published letters. I have letters I have kept from my childhood and I am now in my mid 50s. They give me insights into my past and restore long forgotten cherished memories.🌹🌹🌹

Ruby! have you heard of the app slowly? its pen pals but in a app and you have to wait till you receive a letter like sending real post ect!

I have not written letters in recent years still I enjoyed watching the video. Lots of love ruby 💕

I just have to say this channel is so beautiful and inspiring and, Ruby, you're a rare soul.

My dear soul and friend, this is truly astonishing. What an incredible journey you allowed us to take on, and we truly appreciate it. I find myself struggling lately with anxiety and stress due to being overworked, or mainly I am doing it to myself. No boundaries and hard time to say no. That's all that brings this negativity, but I have been working really hard to gain back control, and not be a slave to these feelings and mindset any more. Your videos have been a true help and peaceful place to regain energy and feel empowered. Thank you so much and wishing you all the best :)

So inspiring 😍. I've really been looking for someone to write letters my whole life. I have a diary for myself, I like that better. But I hope to someday find someone to write to. (I've tried very often, I also had some penfriends but everything has failed because no one takes it "serious".) Greetings from Bavaria ❤️ Eileen

I absolutely loved this video, it's so nice to see you so enthusiastic about soemthing 😊

Dear Ruby, Thanks so much for these videos about the joys of letter-writing! You have provided some great quotes, too - merci! My wife, sons & I all enjoy writing with fountain pens and ink, and I am just getting into wax seals a bit, so it was fun to observe your Lamy pens and your writing tradition & related implements. I am glad that you filmed the stamp-set box (from Note & Wish); I had previously been unaware of the company and would now like to try some of their wares! The removable brass seal-stamps are brilliant. Here is a question, Ruby: Would you mind, please, to provide the brand name of your match boxes? The shape, box print pattern, and even the length of the matches are very appealing! I like to use wooden matches, especially in the Autumn & Winter, to delve a little into "Hygge-land" by lighting my coal oil lantern & candles during cool, dark mornings. Our boys enjoy that, also :) Ruby, if you feel the need for another penal, I would enjoy corresponding with you. I live in British Columbia, Canada. When I was a lad, my grandma mentored me in the act of letter-writing, and in high school and early university years, I so enjoyed "speaking" with friends & rellies in this sort of "time-travelling" manner. Many folks, however, stopped writing after a while; most did not seem to take quite as much joy as did I from paper-borne communication. Thankfully, through the kindness of a UK lady in the Jane Austen Pen Pal Club (on Facebook), I have found some wonderful new pen pals and friends who, like my wife and I, enjoy the novels of Jane Austen (and the films based on her books). That's all for now, I reckon. All the best, and Happy Trails to you from the West! Regan

I love writing letters, I have about 7 regular pen pals and I always use fountain pens too. Some pals are school friends, people I know through fountain pen groups and I even write to a girl in The Netherlands who I met camping when I was 4! I also joined Pen Pal World and made a few friends from that too. I like to decorate my pages with washi tape and use a different colour ink for each page. With some friends, we also include tea bags and a playlist, to be used while reading the letter. And even a piece of positivity news. It's so exciting when you get a reply!

Hi Ruby! You’re videos are so inspiring! When you were working on your dissertation, I was really inspired by your comments on letter writing. Since then, I have been working on bringing letter writing back into my life. I used to write at least one thank you note a week, and it was such a wonderful gift to myself. So, I’ve set my letter writing things back up, and organized them. I then decided to find some programs that specifically reach people in need of an encouragement. I found The Braid Mission- Cards of Hope, that you can send bundles of encouragement/birthday cards to children in foster care that wouldn’t necessarily receive them otherwise. I found another program called more love letters, that is a nomination program for people who are going through tough times or need encouragement. They receive 100s of letters from all over the world if nominated. There are new people each month to write to. There were a few others, but these are super great ones that I think could help anyone wanting to write letters, but not sure who to write to. Honestly, it feels really amazing to know that your words might reach someone and help them smile.

I love writing letters, but have struggled to reply when someone were to ask me, "Why send a letter when you can send a text?" but this video really went into depth with letter writing, and it makes me realize how lovely this form of media really is. Thank you for making these videos for us, I appreciate you so much

Hello Ruby , Since you love letter's so much I advise you to follow the anime Violet Ever grande, it will make you relate to the letter's more and I think that it is worth watching because it will inevitably stir your feelings and you will not be able to stop your tears while watching it.

Well this was just a fantastic video❤️ can feel the joy through the screen

Fellow letter-writing enthusiast here! I have used FutureMe a couple of times, and I love writing letters and postcards! I have a few friends who still do the same, and I appreciate this so much. What I did is first automating all my invoices so the paper versions don't clutter the mail, and canceling all unnecessary paper things (unsubscribing from mailing lists which are just a waste of paper because I don't read them, getting a "no ads" sticker for our mailbox, etc.). The second one was signing up for pen pal programs as well as choosing a few paid letter subscriptions (currently testing Letters from Afar as well as a German company that reconstructed old letters and original documents from the 1940s) and I love them so much. I read them and I will often recycle those beautiful papers for scrapbooking and doing collages after I'm done reading. I love that I now get "real", beautiful mail in my mailbox that I'm actually excited about :)

This is definetely one of my favorite videos 💞💞💞 your content is so lovely

I'm very happy she's doing something she's so passionate about

Your handwriting is really pretty. Loved it😍

Would love to see more content like this!

There's an anime called ''violet evergarden'' about a girl getting to understand human emotions throught writting letters for people.

There is the Letters of Note book series (I follow the IG account) and reading some of those letter extracts has made me appreciate letter writing more as not only an art form, but as a means of intimate connection/dialogue, allowing us to open up more deeply about things. I actually don’t know if I would send a letter to anyone I know at the moment, but I definitely want to try writing ones I wouldn’t necessarily send, to people past and present in my life, as a means of self-reflection and creativity, but it’s also therapy tbh.

I have always adored writing letters, but it rarely happens these days. I love letters for two main reasons really: the anticipation, as you already mentioned. Not knowing when an answer will appear and the sheer joy when it does. Secondly, writing letters slows the mind down. The penmanship, the actual writing, it slo the train of thought and makes it more literary in a way. It also filters it, makes it more gentle than a hastily sent text or e-mail would have been.

You have VERY beautiful handwriting...

I’ve seen books to record what books I’ve read, who I’ve entertained, travel notes, etc. What I’d love to have is a book to keep track of letters I’ve sent. Ideally it would have a pretty faux leather cover with “Correspondence Tracker” written in elegant cursive on front. It would lay flat when open for easy access. The pages would be ruled with column headings that say, Date Sent, To, and Description. There could be an address section in back for friends & family I write to often. As a bonus, it would have a card showing examples of pretty penmanship tucked inside a front flap for easy reference, and some type of pen holder for an average size ball point pen. It might even have an elastic closer. Do you know if any such book exists? If so, will you please add a link to it in your description box? Thanks ever so!

I have friends & family that write Christmas letters. In return, I write a reply in which I will respond/react to the news they shared as well as an update of what is happening with me. I also send postcards while on trips which hardly anyone does anymore, using electronic means instead.

Thank you so much Ruby for this amazing video 🥰🙏🏽I really want to get startet with the letterwriting now hehe🤗❤️

It's a nice habit worth emulating

I have a letter from my father asking my mother to marry him, written 44 years ago. I always think it's a magical object that captures a moment of love and hope for a future of happiness.

Omg, who knows something like community of writers? I really want to write letter but I don't have any friends that like that

Another magical video as always 🌺

A letter is the moment preserved in amber.

Beautiful Art!

That was so beautiful

I've learned to love the art of letter writing after reading hundreds of historical books. Books even like Anne Frank's Diary is a letter. She wanted it published so that in the future others could read letters she'd written to herself . So for me letter writing is a beautiful thing. I love to receive letters from people and I would absolutely love to receive a letter from you too !!

Is good to have your personal dairy

Hello Dear Sister. Happy and blessed Friday. Greetings and blessings from San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima, Perú.

I love your writings

Loved this video!! I journal and feel so much that you said about letters applies to journaling as well. I also love fountain pens and wanted to ask what your collection is like? How many do you have? I noticed like 3 different colors of LAMY? Spill!!

while writing a letter a day sounds very nice, unfortunately stamps are very expensive in my country. they cost 2,10€ a piece so for the whole month that would be 63€ and as a student, I cannot afford that. I do like sending cards occasionally.

This was a charming and amazing video 😊

Well, that's about 3,650 letters in 10 years and 11,000 letters in 30 years. Good luck! ... Great video, btw.!