In November 2004, Frank Warren handed out 3,000 postcards for the sake of a project called Artomatic. These postcards requested that someone write down a secret and mail it to Frank. Cards suddenyl started flowing in, continuing long after Warren had stopped handing them out. In January 2005, postsecret.com was established, and since then the project has gained international acclaim.

The most-visited blog on the internet, postsecret.com has become a cultural phenomenon. Yet it maintains a level of secrecy and somehow falls beneath the radar {its only mainstream exposure was the use of some confessions in the All-American Rejects’ “Dirty Little Secret”video} to become a culture of its own- made up by the secrets that haunt so many of us and have shaped our lives. The secrets vary just as our lives do, with confessions about every from love and relationships to family and loss, unhappiness and regret to childhood memories and embarrassments. It’s truly amazing to see what people will admit when they know that their secret is safe in the hands of a complete stranger. A great amount of these confessions are things we can all relate to; others are completely foreign. But just reading through these confessions that could be from anyone on the street is an incredibly moving experience (I’ll admit, I’ve cried several times looking at them.)

There are currently three books of secrets out, and a fourth is coming in October- I’d highly suggest reading all of them! Furthermore, I’d suggest making a postcard of your own, filling it with any secret that you want, and mailing it away. See how much lighter you feel after admitting something that bothers you, or just express something that other people wouldn’t understand. For further information on how to participate (completely anonymously) in this amazing project, visit postsecret.com.