ESU Welcomes Frank Warren, Creator of PostSecret

Posted by: admin on April 15, 2015, 2 Comments

Frank Warren keeps millions of secrets from around the world. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is pleased to welcome the award-winning creator of PostSecret, also known as the most trusted stranger in America. PostSecret is a collection of highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, displaying the soulful secrets most people would not utter out loud. Warren will share his experience in an inspiring lecture on Wednesday, April 22 at 7 p.m. in the Keystone Room.

Warren started PostSecret as a community arts project in 2004, inviting strangers to anonymously mail in their secrets on a homemade postcard. This simple act sparked a global phenomenon. PostSecret.com won seven Webby Awards and had over 700,000,000 visits. The postcards have been curated for six New York Times bestselling books and have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and the American Visionary Art Museum in New York City. Warren has traveled the world sharing secrets and stories from Australia to Winnipeg. In 2011, Warren was awarded the ‘HopeLine Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his work on suicide prevention and was invited to the White House to work on issues of mental wellness.

“PostSecret is an innovative project that has initiated positive social change in a creative manner very popular with college students,” Linda VanMeter, Ph.D., director of counseling and psychological services, who arranged Warren’s visit, said. “The ‘secrets’ people shared anonymously have created a culture where private experiences became public, where people could relate their circumstances to others, and where life’s sometimes difficult challenges, tragedies, and funny moments, normalized the human experience.”

Part of the mission of Counseling and Psychological Services at ESU is to bring dynamic programming to campus. These programs encourage conversation about the issues students face, work to reduce the stigma of mental illness, and let students who are suffering know they are not alone and should reach out for help.

This event is open to the public and it is free of charge. The presentation will be followed by a book signing. For more information contact Carol Visceglia at cvisceglia@esu.edu.