Post Secret is an excellent example of what I am trying to achieve with my thesis project. Frank Warren came up with a simple but extraordinary concept to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. He started out by handing out postcards to strangers in public places asking them to write down a secret they had never revealed to anyone before. This secret could be anything from a regret, fear, confession, or childhood humiliation and so on. Once the secret was written on the postcard the next step was to send the card to Frank Warren anonymously.
This idea became more than just an experimental art project, it became a “global phenomenon”. Warren decided to take it even further and create a website where people could upload their post secret and share them with the rest of the world. This site has become very successful and influential to many people. The project is very important because it shows true emotions of ordinary people who seek to get their secrets of their chests.
The Post Secret community website is very simple and easy to navigate through. The links include PostSecret Events, PostSecret Chat, Video Secrets, News & FAQ, and Books. The main part of this site that interests me the most is the PostSecret Chat section. People are able to chat with each other about their secrets or overall feelings about what is on in their lives. This site has a lot of traffic and is very successful with the amount of users that visit on a daily basis. This relates to my project because it creates a community for people who have no one else to turn to with their deepest secrets. They can relate with other people on this site to share information and inspiration. This whole concept of turning to the web for help is in some cases the only way people know how to get help. There are other services that are available such seeking professional help from therapists, and other qualified people, however this is not always accessible to people when they need help in the moment. The other part of this site that relates to my project is the blog section. This section is where the post cards are uploaded for people to view and to comment on.
I personally find this project to be inspiring and beautiful at the same time. These secrets are so personal and real which makes this community extremely poetic and unique. I want to capture this with my project where people can feel and experience human behavior. If I am successful with my thesis I want people to come to my community and experience lives of people who struggle with emotional eating.
Homepage of PostSecret Community
Here is a video of secrets that are very emotional.
