Love Letters 2 Strangers Edmonton Workshop

Happy Fri-yay everyone! I don’t know about you, but I’m so ready for the weekend! Ever since the time change, my body has decided that it’s time to hibernate, and I’ve had zero drive to go anywhere or do anything. My subscription to Netflix is getting a workout. I wear slippers and a bathrobe over my clothes after work to keep warm. Anybody else? No? Well, now you know my dirty little secret! 

Thankfully, I decided to take part in an amazing workshop in Edmonton that shook off the seasonal blues and broke the cycle of doing nothing (though, I’m still sitting in my bathrobe as I type this). It’s called Love Letters 2 Strangers, and I’ve gotta say, it was much-needed and perfectly timed!

For those of you that haven’t heard of Love Letters 2 Strangers, it began in September 2011 by founder Ashley Green, who started a movement by writing words of encouragement or inspiration on small cards and handing them out to strangers as a way to spread happiness and love through our city. How heartwarming is that?! I’ve followed the project for a while now, and when the opportunity to take part in a love letter making workshop came up, I jumped on it!

The workshop put me in such a good mood. It was held at Cafe Tiramisu on 124th street, in a private room with cozy lighting, ample craft supplies, delicious baked goods and hot lattes. Talk about good vibes right from the get go! I got to meet Ashley, who just exudes positivity and makes you feel like you’ve known her for years, not to mention gives the best hugs ever. I think there was squeezing and rocking back and forth involved, and I loved every second of it! I also met a handful of other people including Claire Pearen (Director of Communications for LL2S), Justine of with justine whom I’ve only ever met through social media which was so lovely (who also helped organize the workshop), and one person recognized me from the blog! (Hi Tineke! So nice to meet you!)

The act of letter writing was very therapeutic. I had a few quotes that I had written down before the workshop, but there were also a bunch of little books with quotes in them that you could get inspiration from at the workshop. I found that as the afternoon went on, words just flowed out of me and I was writing notes that would mean something to me if I was having a crappy day. We decorated them with stickers, paper punches, ribbon, and other embellishments, which was SO FUN.

At the end of the workshop, we could choose to take our letters with us and give them out ourselves, or give them to Ashley for an upcoming campaign in Edmonton. Our love letters will get tucked into backpacks full of essential items that will get handed out to those experiencing homelessness in our city. It makes me so happy knowing that I might bring a smile to the face of someone else, even if just for a moment. I feel like there’s no better way to get the ‘warm fuzzies’ than to do something for someone else. The feeling is infectious and I can’t wait to take part in the next workshop!

Thank you so much to Ashley, Justine and Claire for organizing the workshop! I had a wonderful time and it was so nice to meet you.

If you’d like to follow Love Letters 2 Strangers, they are on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! I highly recommend it, as their last workshop sold out fast!