Frank Warren, creator of the PostSecret Project, in which people share anonymous confessions on postcards, visited Union South Wednesday as part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
Warren shares the postcards on a website, in books and at live events. He started the project in Washington, D.C. in 2005 when he began distributing blank postcards addressed to his home to strangers on the street. He said he hoped to receive 365 postcards and post one on his blog every day for a year, but the website quickly evolved and received over 100,000 visits in its first three weeks, and has since received more than 500,000 postcards.
Warren discussed the history of the PostSecret Project and shared examples of the secrets he has received, including some that used photos of Bascom Hill and Downtown Madison. He said one of the benefits of sharing a secret on the website is that it makes people realize others share their struggles and helps them feel less alone.
“There’s this invisible network that connects us. You just can’t see it, but it’s there all the time,” Warren said. “Secrets feel like walls when we keep them inside, but when we find the courage to share them, they become bridges.”
Warren also shared the story of his own struggles with depression and attempted suicide, issues at the core of the PostSecret Project.
According to Warren, the project has inspired the creation of the PostSecret Suicide Prevention Wiki, the largest compilation of suicide prevention resources on the web, and has raised more than $1 million for suicide prevention.
Warren invited listeners to share their own secrets at microphones placed in the audience and several people shared emotional stories on topics ranging from religion and relationships to eating disorders and suicide.
“It made me re-evaluate things in my life that I’ve taken for granted in the past,” University of Wisconsin-Madison sophomore Emily McKinney said. “It helped me put things into perspective and grounded me.”
