Monthly themes for profile

Postcrossing General Topics
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Would love to discuss ideas people may have about monthly themes in profiles. Below is a list I put together for 2024. Always open to making updates when offered better ideas. Please share some themes you’d like to see.

Click the triangles to read the descriptions:

Monthly theme for January 2024: Good riddance!!!

I don’t think I’m the only one that has a few postcards that they can never imagine sending to anyone. Could be several reasons… too controversial, horribly unfunny, hideously ugly, flat out boring, etc. Those cards leave you with two options: throw them away or keep them forever. Well, I have a third option… send it my way!!! And when you do, let me know why you didn’t want to send it to anyone (although I suspect that answer may be obvious in many cases). I’m really curious to see what turns up.

Last time I did this, here are some of the cards I received:
Postcard GB-1457350
Postcard GB-1384456

Monthly theme for February 2024: Speak in your language

The 21st of February is International Mother Language Day. This month, I encourage everyone to write to me in their mother language. But PLEASE, write clearly and preferably not in cursive. I will do my best to translate it, but may ask for help in my registration message. I hope I do not regret this idea. :wink:

Monthly theme for Mar 2024: Poetry

The 21st of March is World Poetry Day. I encourage you to write a poem on your postcard. Doesn’t have to be good, just needs to rhyme. :wink:

When a card you pick for me
Write a line or two or three
Make them rhyme to meet the theme
Reading your poem will be a dream

Monthly theme for April 2024: Handmade Cards

The 15th of April is World Art Day. I encourage the artists (and non-artists) of Postcrossing to share your skills with me. If you are so inclined, I’d love to see some of the homemade postcards that you create.

Monthly theme for May 2024: Museums

The 18th of May is International Museum Day. This month, please tell me about your favorite museum that you like to visit. And if you have one, feel free to send me a postcard from a museum.

Monthly theme for June 2024: Children are our future

The second Sunday in June is International Children’s Day. For this month’s theme, I encourage you to let a child write the card. Give them some crayons, colored pencils, or markers and let them have fun. Although it’s probably best to let an adult write the address and postcard ID. :wink:

Monthly theme for July 2024: Time to travel

It’s summer break (at least in the Northern Hemisphere) and people are spreading out around the globe. When I travel, I always bring back tourist cards from the places I visit. Yet it often feels strange sending a tourist card of a distant location from my home. Well, go for it. If you have some tourist cards from a vacations, feel free to send it to me and tell me about you trip.

Monthly theme for August 2024: Photography

The 19th of August is National Photography Day. For any of you that have printed Some of your photographs into postcards, I’d love it if you shared one with me. Kindly tell me about the photo in the message.

Monthly theme for September 2024: The more you know...

The 28th of September is International Day for Universal Access to Information. For this month’s theme, I encourage you to share some interesting facts. For example, my city, Philadelphia, comes from the Greek words for love (phileo) and brother (adelphos). Hence our slogan 'The City of Brotherly Love". Share your interesting facts on the postcard you send.

Monthly theme for October 2024: Food Box Cards

October 16th is World Food Day. To celebrate, I encourage the crafty members to make a postcard out of a cardboard box of food and send it my way. I’d love to see what’s on grocery shelves around the world. Here are some samples I found:
Postcard ID-389258
Postcard SE-212656
Postcard FI-4201652

Monthly theme for November 2024: Eyes Closed Grab

The year is quickly coming to an end. We’ve spend so much time trying to find those perfect postcards for the profiles we get. Time for a break… Go to your postcard stash, close your eyes, pick a card, and send it off. If you are so inclined, I’d love to hear what went through your mind when you saw what you picked.

Monthly theme for December 2024: Ad Cards

As Christmas approaches, it seems that everywhere I look, someone is trying to sell me something. So in that theme, I encourage you to send me advertising cards that you may have lying around. I am curious to see what products are being marketed around the world.

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I like the idea, and I have been thinking about something similar myself. Haven’t gotten around to do it yet :laughing:

I think your themes are very good and creative. Nice with a short description for those who are not fluent in English, and for those topics that are not self-explanatory, so that the sender can get a few ideas about what you expect.

I hope I draw your address in one of the first months of 2024 :wink:

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The themes are great, I love them!
However, (and I hope I am wrong), I am afraid a large part of the cards you’ll received won’t be related to your themes, as it seems a lot of postcrossers don’t read profiles… It seems people on the forum do read profiles, but when it comes to the others, it isn’t always the case. I created this topic to discuss about it.
At least, the last cards I received weren’t related to what I wrote in my profile. It isn’t a problem, but I just want to warm you so that you won’t be disappointed.
But once more, I hope I am wrong of course! Wish you to receive a lot of happy postcards :blush:

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@Aguaroble I’m sure you are not wrong, but I actually see that as a good thing. I wouldn’t want all the cards to be exclusively theme related. It’s still nice to get a variety of cards, but within the monthly batch, there’ll be a handful that relate to the theme.

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I love your ideas! They are cool.

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Yes! The ideas are diverse and lovely. Like @postboo, I find myself wishing I’d receive your address at some point throughout the year. I’m sure you’ll receive a bunch of interesting postcards! :slight_smile:

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These all sound fun! Is it too early to sign up?

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Interesting and Innovative idea, just a thought I want to draw your address in starting of new year:)

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Few times I’ve gotten list like this and always like themes that you can fulfill easily, without having a special topic, such as a certain colour, the oldest card, newest card, or choose a card and tell what song it could be, card someone gave you (empty) and share something about this person.

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I love your monthly themes. Especially the first ones I really enjoyed reading, because they are not standard and very creative and it’s fun to read their description.

I’ve got a question about April and September though. What are the artist or non artist going to do in this month or vice versa. You only specify one group for the month.

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I was trying to be all inclusive. Since the non-artists may feel left out in April, they get a chance to participate in September, While some months can have universal participation, unfortunately, others do not. For example, photography and travel will exclude some people.

As nice as it may be to have 12 themes that everyone can contribute, I was not able to come up with them. For a few of them, I am not really that excited with, but was running out of ideas. Definitely open to new suggestions to swap out some of the weaker choices (such as merging artists and non-artists into one month)

Consider also that the themes are just a section of my profile that changes monthly. The permanent part of the profile is standard and can guide people not participating in the theme.

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I just wanted to say I really appreciate the thought behind each of these. It was really a pleasure to read through your prompts.

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:grin: I didn’t notice the other themes leaving people out, but I guess I stumble across it, because I would neither say I’m an artist (but April doesn’t read as one need to be one, as long as you don’t come across September) nor that I can’t draw a single line. So where would I participate? :grimacing:

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You’re making me think too hard. :grinning:
I suppose April is for anyone confident with their artistic ability (artist or not) and September is more for people that would normally avoid exposing others to their artistic attempts, but now have a venue.

But I’m starting to agree with you. I’ll change April to encourage non artists to also participate (kind of like the poetry one)…

Now I need the collective creativity of this community to come up with a new September

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I’m sorry :laughing:
I guess I’ll therefor make myself think for your September in return.

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Hm… I’ve looked up some of the special days in September:

  • Sept. 8th: International Literacy Day
  • Sept 9th: International Day to pretect Education from attack
  • Sept 28th: International Day for Universal Access to Information

=> Maybe some things the sender learned recently/likes to learn? Or something about books/literature/write a story (maybe too similar to poem?), unused information/useless information one knows and never forget, information/facts someone values or wouldn’t want to miss; memory of a school day/typical school day

or

  • Sept. 26th (last Thursday of September): World Maritime Day
  • Sept. 7th: International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
  • Sept. 16th: International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
  • Sept. 29th: International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

=> postcards with maritime motives? blue sky postcards? something from sea or sky (not land)? nature postcards? blue postcards

It’s not easy :grin: You did such a good job before. :smiley:

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In September are some fun holidays as well. For example some book related themes, this link is just for some ideas :slight_smile:

https://weirdholiday.com/month/september/

And I like the idea of monthly themes, I might try it out, too (if I come up with my own 12 themes :sweat_smile: )

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@P05tkatze & @Jarana
Thanks for the feedback. I like the Maritime idea, but that really just drives to a thematic postcard topic. . I think I’ll go with Literacy Day and steer the theme to the writing rather than the card. But also really like the information one.

Monthly theme for September 2024: Read all about it!!!

The 8th of September is International Literacy Day. In celebration, this month’s theme is books. Please tell me about your favorite book and/or author. Of course, book related postcard are always welcome.

or

Monthly theme for September 2024: The more you know...

The 28th of September is International Day for Universal Access to Information. For this month’s theme, I encourage you to share some interesting facts. For example, my city, Philadelphia, comes from the Greek words for love (phileo) and brother (adelphos). Hence our slogan 'The City of Brotherly Love". Share your interesting facts on the postcard you send.

What’s the favorite?

  • Read all about it!!!
  • The more you know…
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Interesting , and when I read the titles, I was on the fence. But once I read the description I was excited about the idea.

I do agree with what someone else stared, don’t be disappointed if people don’t pay attention. I get more cards that have nothing to do with my profile than those that show they’ve read it

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And Jarana, I’d encourage everyone to try it. Feel free to use any of my themes, or use this thread to fine tune your own list.

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