Art and words have this remarkable way of living beyond its creator's intention. Recently, at a local fair where our Say Still postcards were displayed, I experienced this truth firsthand. A customer—who has since become one of our most devoted supporters after purchasing five cards that day—asked me something that stopped me in my tracks: "What does 'in a few seconds we were above the clouds' actually mean?"
When we crafted this particular piece, we assumed our meaning behind poetic phrases would translate universally. How naive we were. This simple line has become our most debated card to date, with each reader discovering their own truth within those eleven words.
The customer shared her interpretation—that it spoke to passing away into the next life. I'll admit, I initially recoiled. Death wasn't our intention at all. But as artists, we must recognize that how words evoke different feelings is precisely what makes language so powerful. Her reading wasn't necessarily negative; in an age where people plan their own celebrations of life with joy, who are we to determine what deserves celebration?
Though I didn't reveal our original inspiration (the joy of open interpretation is too precious to shatter), our phrase emerged from that sudden, physical sensation of elation—the moment when euphoria lifts you so completely that you feel suspended above the world. Think of those rare instances when turbine engines might literally carry you above clouds, or perhaps other moments of transcendence that defy gravity entirely.
These words and this poetry about sudden elation captures something universal: we've all experienced that split-second transformation when everything shifts, when we're suddenly weightless with possibility. The beauty lies not in our intended meaning, but in how each reader's heart responds.
It's this depth of connection that could place our postcards in quality stationary destinations like The Social Type, BOOKSHOP TRAVELLER, and Russian Hill Bookstore—shops that understand meaningful design, and the power of words to convey meaningful currents.
Your Words Mean to Me, the most we mean to be. Every interpretation you discover, every feeling our words stir within you—that's exactly as it should be. Our words are meant for you and the ones you love, to carry whatever truth you need them to hold.