Sharing secrets helps healing

Student artwork in the small room created a hushed, awe-filled atmosphere as people walked… Student artwork in the small room created a hushed, awe-filled atmosphere as people walked through, completely absorbed in what they saw.

“This feels good,” read one of the pieces, which was adorned with black, red, blue and maroon scribbles.

These works of art were on display in the Conney M. Kimbo Art Gallery in anticipation of the arrival of PostSecret creator Frank Warren, who spoke at Pitt Tuesday night.

More than 150 postcards hung in the Gallery, each as individualistic and raw as the postcards that Warren receives.

Thousands of people have anonymously sent him postcards since 2004, when Warren began the project. Each card is decorated with words and images that depict a secret of theirs, according to Warren.

He has since published three books filled with authentic cards and posts new ones weekly on his Web site.

Andrea Youngo, executive director for the Pitt Program Council, which sponsored the card-making and the lecture, said that Warren’s project possesses a healing power, and she believes that is the reason why PostSecret is so popular.

It’s power that compelled two students to travel from Mercyhurst College in Erie to Warren’s lecture in the Assembly Room of the Union, which was decorated with a portion of the postcards from the Kimbo Gallery.

Michael Mancinelli and Chelsea Boothe, who have thought about creating postcards but never have, agreed with each other that part of the healing appeal consists of recognizing yourself in some of the secrets.

“By making that connection, you’ve shared an experience with someone, and it takes away the loneliness that a secret can create,” Mancinelli said.

Boothe said she likes it for its authentic feeling as well.

“It’s so human. All of the problems and flaws of people come out,” she said.

Boothe added that some of the dark postcards remind her that her life is not as tragic as some others’ are.

Warren, who has been called “the most trusted stranger in America,” began the night by speaking about this influence of sharing.

“Every day, we have to make a decision to bury that box [of secrets] like a coffin or to open up and share it like a gift,” Warren said.

He said that sharing a secret can heal others, and the art of the postcards is one way to reach people.

Warren said he finds art to be therapeutic because it takes a lot of courage to share the work and the personal feelings that helped to create it.

Warren said that the art is the most poignant part of each card. He said through art, people convey certain aspects of their feelings without having to express everything in words.

Another therapeutic feature of PostSecret is the conversation that takes place between the cards and the people who view them, according to Warren.

He called it “a conversation about common humanity.”

One such conversation manifested itself at his first art exhibit of PostSecrets displayed in Washington, D.C.

“I am white, but I like black girls,” a postcard read according to Warren.

Later on he noticed that someone had written “That’s OK” on the card.

Warren said he thinks that a lot of people have that universal urge to respond to the secrets and to let people know that the secrets they hide are acceptable.

Tom Donahoe, who attended the lecture, recognized a sense of healing it creates between people.

“The things people want to get off their chests, even though no one else knows about them, can be sent in on a postcard,” Donahoe said. “Then, they can look online and see that other people know their secrets, and they’re relieved.”

Such secrets are as simple as licking butter out of a popcorn bag, whereas others deal with heavier topics like rape and suicide.

James Pennebaker, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin and a leading researcher in the field of self-expression and health, was unavailable for comment, but his Web site provided relevant information.

The Web site says that writing about emotional upheavals can improve a person’s physical and emotional health. It advises people to explore their deepest emotions and most distressing experiences. By channeling these feelings, a person begins to feel alleviated.

Warren, too, wants people to face the experiences that have caused them the most pain, and in doing so, they can heal themselves and others.

Pennebaker’s Web site also warned that people might be upset when they begin partaking in self-expression.

Warren shared a similar outlook, but believes that it is worth it.

“Sharing a secret can bring new and added pressure. But in the long run, it’s the healthy decision,” Warren said.