Why a T-Shirt?
I made my first t-shirt when a card I sent in to Postsecret wasn't chosen for
their website. I felt that my secret was important and that others could be
helped by hearing it, too. I decided to put my message on a t-shirt and
broadcast it to the world.
Initially, I didn't really have a plan or reason why it was on a t-shirt, not a
poster or website or newspaper. Since this project has continued, though, I've
seen more and more reasons why a t-shirt sends a more powerful, personal
message than most media types ever could.
To read a t-shirt, someone must come in close contact to me. They see a
face, not just a message. I've found this to be an incredibly powerful
opportunity, as people respond to the person inside the shirt and want to know
my experiences, want to understand my message, and most of all want to
share their own stories. It's like those Kleenex commercials, where a stranger
sits in the middle of NYC somewhere with a couch and a box of Kleenex and
just invites people to talk. Wearing a shirt with such a personal, powerful,
little-heard message never fails to invite heartfelt conversations with total
strangers. It's really damn cool.
Beyond that, it's helpful on a personal level. As someone battling an eating
disorder, mirrors are often the most dangerous objects I can come across...
and they are everywhere. When I'm wearing a shirt with a message like, "Life
is worth so much more than an eating disorder!" emblazoned on the front,
every time I walk past a mirror I'm given an instant reminder of what I'm
fighting for and why.
Over the past few years I've had many different companies offer to mass
produce my shirts but I stoically refuse. It's a theory and could be wrong, but
my gut says that people who see the shirts often respond on a deeper level
because of the very fact that they are raw and handmade. For one thing,
they're more noticeable for the fact that they do have some small flaws and
variations in color and design. I hope that the shirts say, "My message is so
important I'm prepared to put the effort into writing it out myself to make sure
it's heard." Quite possibly this could just be a flight of fancy, but for now I'm
sticking to it.
I made my first t-shirt when a card I sent in to Postsecret wasn't chosen for
their website. I felt that my secret was important and that others could be
helped by hearing it, too. I decided to put my message on a t-shirt and
broadcast it to the world.
Initially, I didn't really have a plan or reason why it was on a t-shirt, not a
poster or website or newspaper. Since this project has continued, though, I've
seen more and more reasons why a t-shirt sends a more powerful, personal
message than most media types ever could.
To read a t-shirt, someone must come in close contact to me. They see a
face, not just a message. I've found this to be an incredibly powerful
opportunity, as people respond to the person inside the shirt and want to know
my experiences, want to understand my message, and most of all want to
share their own stories. It's like those Kleenex commercials, where a stranger
sits in the middle of NYC somewhere with a couch and a box of Kleenex and
just invites people to talk. Wearing a shirt with such a personal, powerful,
little-heard message never fails to invite heartfelt conversations with total
strangers. It's really damn cool.
Beyond that, it's helpful on a personal level. As someone battling an eating
disorder, mirrors are often the most dangerous objects I can come across...
and they are everywhere. When I'm wearing a shirt with a message like, "Life
is worth so much more than an eating disorder!" emblazoned on the front,
every time I walk past a mirror I'm given an instant reminder of what I'm
fighting for and why.
Over the past few years I've had many different companies offer to mass
produce my shirts but I stoically refuse. It's a theory and could be wrong, but
my gut says that people who see the shirts often respond on a deeper level
because of the very fact that they are raw and handmade. For one thing,
they're more noticeable for the fact that they do have some small flaws and
variations in color and design. I hope that the shirts say, "My message is so
important I'm prepared to put the effort into writing it out myself to make sure
it's heard." Quite possibly this could just be a flight of fancy, but for now I'm
sticking to it.
I'm still looking for an easy way to allow people to order shirts from a drop-tab
form where they can select size, design, and quantity without any big to-do.
Unfortunately, all the sites I've found which allow this are quite out of my
price league at present.
To purchase a shirt, click the "Buy Now" button beneath the shirt you want.
When you place the order there will be a section for notes. Please indicate
your address and the size tee you would like in this box. Thanks so much!
form where they can select size, design, and quantity without any big to-do.
Unfortunately, all the sites I've found which allow this are quite out of my
price league at present.
To purchase a shirt, click the "Buy Now" button beneath the shirt you want.
When you place the order there will be a section for notes. Please indicate
your address and the size tee you would like in this box. Thanks so much!
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