When I was 10, I was obsessed with penpals and mail clubs. Thankfully, I was 10 in the sunset of analog mail– just before the Internet took over communications entirely. And though I evolved with the Internet- I’ve never managed to achieve the same high as watching the mailman deposit a sticker-stuffed mailer into the mailbox in front of my family’s rural 1990’s home.

I’m bringing mail joy back.

These are unsettling times. The news can be bleak and my mailbox isn’t often much brighter.

Sign up for my dopamine mail club to get a monthly mailer designed to bring fun to your mailbox, joy to your day, and self-care to your brain and body. After years of curating monthly mailers for my Patreon mail tier, I’ve cherry-picked the best swag, overstuffed it into a dozen mailers, and curated 12 boxes designed to support, uplift, and generally degloomify the bill-filled mailboxes of our modern age.

The dopamine mail club exists for two reasons:

Well, 3 if you count the fact that I just really love sending out playful mail!

1. Dopamine!
   • Joy is worth subscribing to. We live in an age where mail is a chore at best, or an anxiety-wrapped quest at worst. My dopamine mail is a little carrot on a stick: 🥕 An intermittent-reward-wrapped promise that if you check your mail regularly, one day of the month will bring a joyful, bright, playful, or silliness-packed mailer designed to make you smile.
2. Support!
   • I am, after all, a therapist. The contents of dopamine mail isn’t just for fun. It’s also thoughtfully curated to promote mindfulness, education, awareness, and/or skills to support others. Dopamine mail is perfect for folks who need a little extra support (like people struggling with a new diagnosis, inpatient care, supportive housing, or intensive outpatient programs). It’s also great for people in helping professions- where the contents might provide a new, perhaps playful, perspective to share with clients.

What’s inside?

Well, every mailer is a mystery (think of it like a top secret tasting menu of a chef’s best!), but each month you’ll receive goods with a total value of $30-$40.

While every mailer is a little different, previous mailers have included:

• Small tear-away notepads
• Cootie catchers / fortune tellers
• Handmade stoneware magnets
• Zines (small booklets containing mini comics)
• Card decks
• Sticker sheets
• Decals
• Min art prints
• Mini journals
• Adult coloring book pages

When I send dopamine mail mailers –

Precisely when I send out mailers each month varies! Predictability kills wonder, so dopamine mail goes out on what I call a “chaos schedule.”

Will it arrive on the first? MAYBE? The 31st? PERHAPS.

By shipping mailers on a different date each month, recipients get to enjoy the delight of surprise – an experience that neurologists know enlivens and intensifies a positive experience¹

Deadline:

But, this is a business after all, so there are a few hard boundaries. Join by the 15th of each month in order to get a mailer for the current month.

Why it’s called Dopamine Mail

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our brains creates a sense of pleasure and reward. Our brains are seeking dopamine all the time- but sometimes the ways that we have found to get little hits of dopamine actually aren’t very good for us (like spending too much time on our phones, gambling, etc.). Over time, negative sources of dopamine can have a harmful effect on our lives and on our brains.

For many people, recovery from mental illness or substance use issues involves curating healthier ways to seek dopamine.

Enter: dopamine mail.

Discovering a surprise package in your mailbox – specially curated to bring you joy – can create excitement, novelty and a rush of healthy dopamine. A rush that you can refresh and re-access any time by taking the fun stuff from my mailers and displaying, using, or sharing it.

Thoughts

Joining Patreon in 2018 changed my life as an artist. Those supporters helped me believe in myself, grow as an artist, and create so many fun things. But I know that joining Patreon isn’t right for everyone. So, I dreamed up dopamine mail as a way to help all those cool little trinkets I made for patrons on my mail tier find homes with people who might not ever join Patreon.

I imagine dopamine mail helping support mental health for all kinds of people. My mental health art is research-based but intentionally *not to clinical.* It’s thoughtfully created to be both accurate and accessible for everyone. Similarly, my mailers are for anyone age 12 and up who can use a bit of delight, whimsy, and support in their self-care. It’s perfect for people who just want a more fun mailbox, people who are in recovery (ask me about staple-free, sharps-less modifications for mailers sent to residential mental health facilities), and for people who work professionally in the mental health field.

1. Rousell, M. (2021). The power of surprise: How your brain secretly changes your beliefs. Rowan & Littlefield. [↩]