Childhood memories, adulthood inspiration

marja2006 | Finland | Feb. 2008

Once upon a time, there was a little girl whose father encouraged her to read The Little Prince. When I started reading the book, the first thing that called my attention was the beautiful drawings and the fact that the author had drawn them himself. Second thing: how Antoine de Saint-Exupéry explains why he decided to dedicate the book to Leon Werth. If you read it, you'll understand why I felt that the author was actually talking to me. And suddenly I was under the impression that he should have been a very wise man.

"To Leon Werth. I ask the indulgence of the children who may read this book for dedicating it to a grown-up. I have a serious reason: he is the best friend I have in the world. I have another reason: this grown-up understands everything, even books about children. I have a third reason: he lives in France where he is hungry and cold. He needs cheering up. If all these reasons are not enough, I will dedicate the book to the child from whom this grown-up grew. All grown-ups were once children -although few of them remember it. And so I correct my dedication: to Leon Werth, when he was a little boy".

Of course I was going to grow up and become an adult myself, but I promised that I would never forget Saint-Exupéry's message. So many years later, receiving a postcard with that message was a kind of blessing. When someone asks me about my favorite card, I know there are too many that I love, but this postcard is always the first answer that comes to my mind.

Is there any card in your collection that you find particularly inspiring?

Tile art!

miceu | Portugal | Apr. 2010

I picked this card from miceu's trade album for a private swap, and I remember my happiness when I finally received it. She explained that tile art begun around the XV and XVI century in Portugal, and that many walls of Portuguese churches are covered in tiles. This postcard is absolutely beautiful. Maybe it's because tile art reminds me of my childhood (old houses here used to be decorated with them), of my family (my great grandparents came from Spain, where tile art is very popular too), and of a story by Manuel Mujica Láinez which I used to read a lot in my high school days. The story is called "El hombrecito del azulejo" ("The little man of the tile") and it's a tall tale about a little man drawn on a tile that wants to help his dying friend, a young boy. Sounds sad, I know, but the story is worth reading.

I would really like to have this kind of art at home. Although unfortunately it doesn't match with the rest of the decoration. Is tile art to be found anywhere in your city?