Naomi Bulger is a writer and illustrator and lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband, two children and a fat rescue cat. She is a big fan of snail mail.
What do you like about snail mail?
“Writing a letter feels completely different
to writing an email. It forces you to slow down and be more mindful of what you are saying. Snail mail is where my two joys of writing and painting converge. I like to paint illustrations and incorporate the addresses into the designs to make each envelope bright, cheerful and something unique that will make the recipient—and hopefully also the mailman—happy.”
Have you always written letters?
“I had pen pals when I was growing up
but I wasn’t a prolific letter writer. I rediscovered letters about six or seven years ago when, on a whim, I started offering to send letters to strangers who read my blog. They would write back, and I became hooked by the whole process. It’s so personal, holding something in your hands that they first held, and that has traveled—sometimes—thousands of kilometers to reach you.”
What inspires you?
“Family, art and nature. Motherhood is beautiful, inspiring, exhausting and chaotic; it has taught me to appreciate the meaning behind the small things. I try to capture those moments in my paintings: half-eaten breakfasts, a cup of steaming hot tea, or a cat asleep on a sofa. I’m on a bit of a personal journey to slow down and be more mindful in the way I live my life. There’s not a lot I can do about how busy I am or how full our schedule is, but I can change the way I go through my busy days to act with more love for the people around me, the world in which I live, and of course myself.”
- You can find out more about Naomi Bulger and her work on her website.
Text Jeannette Jonker Photography Naomi Bulger
