I’d like to explain my thought process behind this blog/project, especially when it comes to the name, Letters from Rita.

First off, my middle name is Rita, as is my mom’s. My grandmother and great-grandmother also had the same middle name. You can say it’s kind of a family heirloom. When I was younger, I really didn’t like my middle name. It was weird. It wasn’t common. It was old-fashioned.

My middle name is still weird. Uncommon. And it’s still old-fashioned. So why, over the past 5 years, have I grown to love it? It’s meaningful. There is family history behind it. I share it with 3 beautiful women in my family. And the fact that it’s uncommon makes it a great name to use in things like this. Stephanie? Oh boy, that’s an overused one. But Rita? Not many people out there have that name.

Onto the “letters” part. This one’s more complex.

1. I love random notes. Little messages left on the table. Real mail in my mailbox. Encouraging texts on the really, really bad days. These doodles, these “letters” are here to encourage you and make you smile. If they don’t, I haven’t done my job.

2. The alphabet is my favorite. Just think: 26 little parts & pieces have the power to make billions of amazing words. Words that can make or break you. These ones… these ones will make you.

3. Hand-lettering: a typography technique I learned about back in the days of design school. It’s natural, it’s rough, it’s real. I love the look of hand-lettered wedding invitations, calligraphy, scribbled notes in a sketchbook. I love the feel of a hand-lettered concert poster, when you know the artist put so much time and attention into the craft. It really is a craft. There are people out there whose dedication to it completely blows me away.

There’s a lot of meaning in a name, and I hope this helped you understand where I’m coming from!

Thanks for visiting =)