Lost Love Letters

 

Lost Love Letters is a participatory art project centered around romantic love

It is an invitation to write the words never said to those we have loved and lost — through death, distance, timing, or silence. To the people who remain close in memory, who visit us in dreams, who still shape us long after the relationship has ended.

These are the things we would say if we could: confessions, blessings, apologies, wishes.

Each note is embroidered by hand onto small squares of fabric, inspired by ema votive plaques. Like offerings they are strung together and are devotional in nature: wishes marked, love made visible, longing given form. They are not sent to their intended recipient, but released through the act of making.

This project honors romantic love in all its unfinished forms: first love, almost-love, enduring love, love that could not stay. It holds the ache of feeling something has been lost, and the human desire to keep what we hold dear. Together, the letters are held as a collective emotional archive — intimate, nostalgic, ephemeral.

If you feel called to leave a letter, you are welcome to do so below

 

how to PARTICIPATE

You are invited to submit a letter of up to 25 words. It might be:

  • something you wish you could tell them

  • a confession, a thank you, an apology, or a blessing

  • a sentence that returns to you in quiet moments

  • a dream that cannot be delivered, but still deserves to exist

These are not explanations or full stories — but fragments, momentos, whispers

about submissions

  • Submissions may be anonymous

  • By submitting, you agree that your words may be embroidered and displayed as part of this ongoing project

  • If you choose to include a meaningful quote or song lyric in place of your own words, please cite the original author

Not every submission may be used, but each will be read and held thoughtfully, with care and respect.

this is a tender space
This project is about intimacy, not exposure. Please do not include full names or details that could identify another person. The power of the work lives in what is felt, not in what is explained.

to submit
Use the form below to include your message or a photo of your letter. If you choose to send a photo, please write it on a 3 1/2 x 2 in. card. This best matches the dimensions of the plaques. This is your message, so feel free to add a drawing, sigil, or any other details that you desire.

If you prefer to send a physical letter or postcard, please address it to:
Lost Love Letter Project
155 Chestnut Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301