Thank You Coptic

Thank You, artist book by Caitlin Allen

How many times a day do you say "thank you?" Maybe it's to the person who fixes your coffee, or to a stranger who holds the door. Maybe you even email a thank you to someone for sending you a delicious box of fruit. "Thank You" cards exist in just about any convenience store, but we often write thank yous out of politeness. So why not write an unexpected thanks that you intend?

I went to Case Center (Skidmore's student center) on Friday and brought 40 blank cards with me. I asked strangers to "write a thank you to anyone about anything, anonymous or signed." I got humorous and heartfelt responses in 4 different languages. When I got back to the studio I assembled the cards using a basic 7 hole coptic binding. The covers are envelopes.

The experience was incredible. We all have so much to be thankful for and it's rare we take the opportunity to verbalize it. I picked the page to the left because I love its anonymity! This thank you could be for the reader, for a friend, for a stranger...imagine if you wrote a thank you to someone you didn't know at all? Dear Stranger with the orange hat, thank you for taking the time to look up. A little appreciation goes a long way.