Doris Chang · Illustrated Letters

Doris Chang is out to bring a little love to your letterbox.

The Adelaide-based illustrator, designer and writer has turned her talent to a sweet ‘Illustrated Letters’ subscription project, to provide motivation and inspiration for the year ahead.

Written

Elle Murrell

Illustrator Doris Chang has created ‘Illustrated Letters’ a year-long subscription project, launching in January 2018. Photo – courtesy of Doris Chang.

Photo – courtesy of Doris Chang.

Doris lettering work developed from her love of words; ‘the natural cross-section between writing and illustration’. Having always kept journals of written pieces alongside her sketchbook for illustrative work, she now feels that her written thoughts should no longer be contained to a greeting card or standalone product. Photo – courtesy of Doris Chang.

The 25-year-old admits this is probably the most self-indulgent project she’s I’ve ever made – ‘I pretty much just combined all of my favourite things (writing, illustration, printed material, receiving fun mail) and tried to create something that I would be excited to receive in the mail myself,’ she tells. Photo – courtesy of Doris Chang.

Doris run’s her label Little Sister Co. full-time , but also works part-time as a graphic designer and just this year illustrated her 2^nd and 3^rd books. Next she has set her sights on working on some manuscripts on her way to adding ‘Author/Illustrator’ to her CV one day. Photo – courtesy of Doris Chang.

‘After completing my studies it took a lot of time (spent thinking, doubting, and working on various things of questionable quality) before I had some clarity on the type of work that I wanted to be making and started my own range or cards and other illustrated products,’ tells Doris. Photo – courtesy of Doris Chang.

Writer

Elle Murrell

22nd of December 2017

Earlier this year Doris Chang decided she really needed a whole lot of pen pals. The Adelaide-based freelance illustrator devised ‘Illustrated Letters’ – a world-wide subscription of letters and illustrated material, distributed in the mail once-a-month throughout 2018.

‘This project is a love-letter to some of my favourite things – writing, illustration, printed material, and receiving exciting mail – and I hope it will bring a little light to the letterboxes of subscribers,’ explains the Visual Communication (Illustration) graduate, with a background in Children’s books.

A long time coming, the idea for ‘Illustrated Letters’ emerged from Doris’ sketchbook and journal (where she records quotes and passage that resonate), in equal parts. ‘Eventually these little passages become longer and longer and I realised that I just had too many things to say that wouldn’t fit onto a greeting card!,’ jokes 25-year-old Doris.’ The prospect of essentially asking strangers to subscribe to a year of me sending the contents of my journal to their letterbox was a daunting one, but some ideas just won’t let go; they become a burden on you if you don’t do something with them, and Illustrated Letters was definitely one of those.’

Each arrival will contain an original letter as well as extra keepsakes including postcards, greetings cards and other paper goodies. At the end of the year, subscribers will also receive a keepsake: ‘Illustrated Letters, The Book’, collating all the year’s letters. ‘I really hope some of these letters become incredibly well-travelled over the year, perhaps even a little dog-eared around the edges’ says Doris.’

Doris’ first letter is scheduled for January 2018, subscriptions cost $220 and are available until January 5th. Learn more via her website, or take a sneak peek here.