For this assignment I was worried about two things, what would I send related to my topic and who would I send to outside of my assigned classmate. I had originally wanted to send some information and statistics alongside art to the person who started this for me, Caitlin Doughty, but couldn't find an address to send to her. There isn't even an email or other means of reaching out other than trying to private message on a social media site, which honestly feels a bit weird to me.
I did want to keep this idea of statistics and art for my mail to a classmate. I hope Kat enjoys the art and doesn't find it too morbid or strange, I honestly had fun making the card and imagery inside and finding the information to quote when talking about how gross the death industry is right now. Simply funerals cost average $10,000 and the breakdown I found on several websites totaled closer to $10,700.
I started out with a white piece of paper and drew a coffin shape in the center aligning it as best as I could with the center fold line.
I then drew some basic flowers and leaves around it and colored them in with copic makers and a prismacolor marker.
Then I made my insert. The front includes basic monetary fact about funeral costs and other forms of death care.
While the back includes information about certain laws (or lack there of) in the state of Virginia. Did you know there is no law stating you must use a casket/coffin from a funeral home. You can shop online or even make your own!
On the exterior card I used a piece of grey paper and black pen, the back has this small drawing with a quote I love from Stephen King's Rose Red "Roses mean remember."
On the front I wanted to add some levity so I draw my favorite skeleton with eyebrows taped on making heart hands and a message wrapping the exterior hoping Kat enjoys and doesn't find it too somber.
As for my other piece of mail art, I decided to write to myself.
Unfortunately it did not go quite as planned, I wanted to write about wishes for my remains and tell myself to save up so my family had money to take care of my wishes. But I wound up talking to myself about my mental health issues and struggles with death in the past. I realize that funerals are mostly for the living, a means of coping with the loss and showing their care for the deceased, so I don't know that I have any wishes for my remains. I just don't want my family to become so in debt from burying me.
Did you know most basic life insurance pays out $5,000 - $10,000? That barely covers a basic funeral and doesn't take into account the possibility of shady business practices within death care that will drive up the cost. Some funeral homes have been known to "require" a family member to go to the home prior to embalming to verify they remains. Then they charge a viewing cost and use shady salesman tactics to sell you the better casket and embalming processes.
I don't want that for my children, or spouse, or heaven forbid my parents, when dealing with my remains. But the letter, I've attached the header above, but if you would like to scroll more there will be the full letter. It is personal, but then again all my art is personal. I've folded the letter up and put it in one of my favorite books in hopes that I read it years later. Either when my husband and I move to our first house that isn't rented or when I'm sitting down to share it with my older children.
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed my rantings and my artwork.
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