This poet is writing one million lovely letters to strangers

Jodi Ann Bickley has started a project called One Million Lovely Letters, with the initiative of sending out one million letters to strangers.

I think it's always really lovely when young girls who write in to the project receive packages like this back - from their peers, girls who are going through the exact same things at exact same times with the most supportive words and letters full of love. Sending these letters out is up there with my absolute favourite things about one million lovely letters as girls (and women!) are often pitted against eachother and set up to rip themselves apart from such a young age and this is just a little way of building that girl gang back up, that as women we should be building eachother up, praising eachother and sending so much love in each other's directions because we really are all in this together.

A post shared by Jodi Ann Bickley (@jodiannbickley) on Jul 7, 2017 at 10:14am PDT

Bickley is a poet who has struggled with health issues in the past, having developed encephalitis after being bitten by a tick, which resulted in a stroke that paralysed one side of her body.

After she began to recover, she decided that she would work toward helping others going through a hard time in life. This goal eventually led to One Million Lovely Letters.

She states on her website: “In the UK alone there are 62,641,000 people, in the whole wide world there are 7,038,044,500. The average person has 3 close friends and 19 'mates' so take that off and you are still left with seven billion thirty-eight million forty-four thousand four hundred and seventy eight strangers. And all of those strangers have at least one day where they could use a little lift.”

had some time to write a few letters today at the exhibition!

A post shared by Jodi Ann Bickley (@jodiannbickley) on Apr 13, 2017 at 8:37am PDT

She continues: “To every other person on the planet – I’m going to write you a letter. A letter just to make the day a bit better or to remind you of the bloody amazing stuff about you that you’ve forgotten because we all forget once in a while.”

If you would like to receive a letter from Bickley or her team, you can email onemillionlovelyletters@gmail.com. She asks that you provide the reason you need a little lift and you will receive a personalised, handwritten letter.

The first two days of the exhibition have gone just beautifully! letters have been written and taken, photos have been added to the wall and people have sat and watched the lovely little film I put together with some of my favourite babes. I haven't been there for the past two days because in all honesty my m.e has battered me (I kinda knew it was going to happen because I did a little too much!) instead Sam has been there and showing everyone around and having a little chat which I'm so grateful for but! I'll be there tomorrow and for the rest of the week so please come along and join me at @centrala_space!

A post shared by Jodi Ann Bickley (@jodiannbickley) on Apr 12, 2017 at 7:19am PDT

So far, Bickley has written over 3,000 handwritten letters.

The project was started in February of 2013 with just Bickley. She now has a team of ten writers contributing to the cause.