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“It’s cold outside, but it’s warm in here”
Frank Warren brings his “Post Secrets” phenomenon to the Union Theatre
By Jason Corning
Unexpectedly, the experiment was a smash hit. Frank began receiving unsolicited cards from all over the country detailing hopes, dreams, fantasies, and of course, dark secrets.
By all accounts, Frank Warren is another average middle-aged white guy with a wife and daughter from suburban Maryland. Yet, for more than three years now, he has received thousands of post cards from complete strangers detailing their deepest and darkest secrets.
On October 2nd, Warren visited the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Union Theatre to discuss that last little part of his life, his pride and joy, the ultimate community art project, “Post Secret.”
As Warren tells it, “Post Secret” began as an idea for an art installation project in Washington D.C. He conceived an idea to hand out blank post cards to strangers on the street and ask them to decorate them with art and text representing a secret which no one else had ever heard. These instant artists were then urged to mail the card anonymously back to Warren to be displayed for a public audience.
Unexpectedly, the experiment was a smash hit. Warren began receiving unsolicited cards from all over the country detailing hopes, dreams, fantasies, and of course, dark secrets. Warren soon realized that he was no longer the leader of the project, but a simple channel to direct this incredible energy and power. He began a website (postsecret.blogspot.com) in January of 2005, which has since become one of the most visited sites on the web.
Hearing Warren tell his unique story in front of a packed audience was an equally incredible treat. With the timing of a seasoned standup comic and the self-effacing wit of a weathered novelist, Mr. “Post Secret” himself delivered an enormously entertaining lecture filled with stories of humor, compassion, and overwhelming sadness.
The man standing before the eager crowd Thursday was not a celebrity author, nor a legendary literary figure of any kind. He was simply a man who stumbled upon an incredible idea, and a man who urged the rest of us to figure out some way to do the same.
After a slide show of some of his favorite secrets he received, Warren gave members of the audience the floor, inviting them to come to the microphone and share secrets of their own. After an apprehensive couple of seconds, dozens of people offered up their stories, ranging from heartbreaking accounts of sexual abuse to hilarious stories of juvenile delinquency.
Ultimately, “the most trusted person in America” truly lived up to his name, transforming an entire theatre into a combination therapy session, social mixer, and church confessional in less than two hours. It quickly became clear how powerful secrets could be once they were released, and it seemed that the ones that hurt most on the inside did the most good on the outside. People appeared to have much more in common than they thought. Connecting over a guilty pleasure, or terrifying experience seemed to mean a lot more than enjoying the same pop song or loving the same football team.
For anyone who hasn’t experienced “Post Secret” for themselves, check out the website or pick up any of the four published collections (available locally at Harry S. Schwartz bookstores). Also, if you think it feels good to read other folk’s secrets, try sharing one of your own. Life sure can be cold all on your own.
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