For those of you who don’t know, my daughter Veronica is a rising high school senior, which means much of my energy lately has been focused on all things college, and more specifically, the college essay. I’m not exaggerating even a little when I say I have reviewed several dozen iterations on several topics this summer. More often than not, my feedback includes a reminder that authenticity is paramount, and that seasoned admission counselors will immediately sense when one is presenting a version of oneself that simply does not exist.
While I’m sure having an opinionated mother isn’t easy, rest assured I have done my best to turn out an adequate Gen Z letter writer. Not only does Veronica know how to address an envelope — apparently a disappearing skill! — she can write a solid thank-you. The letters she wrote us from camp are some of my most prized possessions (and transport me back in time every time I read them). Meanwhile, Veronica needed to write a thank-you last week, and I only had to remind her a few times. Anyone who has raised a teenager (or as my husband and I sometimes refer to it, Toddlerdom 2.0) knows that is a major victory!
Obviously, I haven’t forgotten how challenging it can be to implement this habit. Fortunately Ashley Campbell now does a lot of heavy lifting for all parents. Her brand Coral & Blue is named after the colors of those elementary school paper lines that so many of us learned to write on ourselves. Its mission is to encourage gratitude, thoughtfulness and creativity among youngsters — and to create stationery for small hands that makes note-writing both simple and joyful.
“Through starting a children’s stationery company, I’ve learned how expressing gratitude through note-writing helps kids to improve mood, increase serotonin levels, and improve reading and writing skills,” Ashley writes on her site. “Note-writing also sets kids apart, and will help them during and after college in their job and internship searches.”
Ashley’s latest releases are specifically designed so that children can get used to expressing empathy, gratitude and apology on paper. I love how she has put a modern, colorful spin on classic silhouettes.
I also really love that Ashley has also unveiled inclusive designs featuring kids with curls, so Coral & Blue speaks to a broader range of ethnicities. “That was particularly important to me, being part Filipino,” Ashley said.
Ashley has also partnered with a school in Burundi, Africa, where she says blank paper is still something of a novelty. There students use it to develope penmanship, reading, writing, art, and public speaking skills. Since many of these children have been traumatized by the violence that is unfortunately commonplace there, the stationery becomes a vital part of their healing process.
Ashley wrote me that she is so happy to have found her stride, purpose and mission. “I am very much focused on human connection through letter-writing and how much we’re in need of it in today’s digital world — as well as children finding happiness, creativity and time to ‘de-screen,’ through note-writing and art. The Coral & Blue Mission in Burundi has really taken off, and I’ve started an adult note-writing club called Well-Noted Saratoga.”
Looks like that group just started meeting in June — and what a wonderful idea that anyone could start in their town. I think you’ll agree that Ashley’s enthusiasm for all things epistolary is contagious in the very best way. Start your shop here — and let’s give Ashley some back-to-school sales to be waiting for her when she gets back from vacation Friday!
