Still Here.
An Art Project
Every job comes with the first two. The third is the reason you're still here. We're collecting them, one handwritten sentence at a time.
This is an art project
Not a survey. Not a campaign. Nobody's scoring your answer.
This fall, a stack of postcards went out to people who do employer brand and talent work. Each one says Salary. Benefits. and then leaves a blank. The blank is yours.
Write one honest sentence. No name. No company. Mail it back. Every card becomes part of one larger piece about the people behind this work and the reasons that actually keep them in it.
You're not answering a question. You're adding to something.
Got a card?
Here's the whole job.
- Fill in the blank. A full sentence, not one word. Write the version you'd only say anonymously.
- Take a picture first. Before it goes in the mail, photograph it. That photo is your copy. Keep it.
- Mail it back. It's already stamped and addressed. Drop it in any mailbox.
- Share it if you want. Post your photo. No names, no tags, no company. Let the sentence stand on its own.
Got two cards? The second one is for someone else who does this work. Hand it to them.
What happens next
- Now: Cards are out in the world and starting to come back.
- Mid-December: A first look. A handful of early answers, shared here and on LinkedIn.
- January: Every card, all at once, right here on this page.
Check back. Or better, be in it.
Didn't get a card?
You can still be in it.
Send me a mailing address and I'll send you a blank set. Postage is covered both ways. The only thing you have to bring is the sentence.
You're in. Your cards are on the way. When they arrive: one sentence, no name, take a picture, mail it back.
Something didn't send. Try again, or message me on LinkedIn and I'll get you a card the old-fashioned way.
Your address is used to mail you cards. That's it.
The Not-So-small print
- Anonymous means anonymous. Don't put your name or company on the card. If one slips through, it gets covered before anything is shared.
- Mailing it back means yes. Sending a card back means you're okay with it being photographed and shown as part of the project.
- Your address stays in a drawer. It's used to mail you cards and nothing else. No newsletter, no sales follow-up.
- Questions? Message me on LinkedIn: James Ellis