Artella's Annual Mystery Muse Project for 2012! The Sign-Ups for this year closed on 12-31-11. Thank you for your interest, and we hope you will participate next year! Our annual project is similar to the tradition of "Secret Santas"… but with a creative twist! Sign up to be a Mystery Muse, and you'll receive the name and snail mail address of someone else who has signed up. You will then send at least TWO creative offerings to that person during the month of January. These offerings can be absolutely anything, as long as they are two things that you created personally. You should keep your identity a secret until you send your final offering, at which time you can reveal yourself. There's absolutely no cost, other than your postage to mail your surprises to your assigned Muse-ee (and when you do, you even receive a li’l bonus gift from Artella in return!) So it's completely free to participate, and is simply a fun way to start the new year with positive, supportive energy...by sharing a bit of your own creativity...while receiving a boost of inspiration from someone else's creativity, as well! Please feel free to invite others to participate as well, by sending them the link to this page! Here's how it works: 1. To participate in the Mystery Muse Project, simply fill out the form below. We will accept sign-ups through December 31, 2010. 2. By January 4, 2012, you will receive an email with information about your assigned "Muse-ee": his/her name, mailing addresses, and email address (in case you'd like to contact your Muse-ee by email). Your Muse will also receive your information. 3. Your commitment is to send at least TWO creative offerings to that person during the month of January. These offerings can be very simple and needn't cost any money or necessarily take a lot of time (unless you want to put a lot of time into them!) Please feel free to express yourself in simple ways...a 3 line Haiku poem sent with a pressed leaf… a sketch drawn on a napkin in a restaurant… a handmade card… a photograph that you took… a copy of a short story you wrote. 4. As an extra incentive, when you notify us that you've sent out your second mailing, you'll get a free gifty from Artella, just to thank you for keeping your commitment to your Muse-ee! 5. You will also receive two creative offerings from your Mystery Muse, as well! Remember, the commitment is to send two goodies during January 2012. Please only sign up if you are willing and able to keep this commitment. If you have any questions, please contact our Mystery Muse Coordinator. Please feel free to invite others to participate as well, by sending them the link to this page. The Sign-Ups for this year closed on 12-31-11. Thank you for your interest, and we hope you will participate next year! If you have any questions, please contact our Mystery Muse Coordinator. Frequently Asked Questions: Q: Am I supposed to keep my identity a "mystery"? A: The "mystery" element of the Mystery Muse Project has more to do with the mysterious nature of serendipity than it has to do with personal anonymity. You are welcome to keep your identity secretive, if you like (i.e., sending your first goody as an anonymous offering, and then "revealing" yourself when you send your second offering) but being "mysterious" is definitely not necessary for the project to be a success. Q: How should I get started? A: To get started, simply send your first handmade/self-created offering to your Muse-ee, using the mailing address given to you. Your commitment is to send at least TWO creative offerings to that person during the month of January. These offerings can be very simple and needn't cost any money or necessarily take a lot of time (unless you want to put a lot of time into them!) Please feel free to express yourself in simple ways, and to delight yourself as you put together these lovely offerings! Q: Can I email my Muse-ee? A: Emailing your Muse-ee is optional. Your only commitment is to send two offerings by snail mail, so email contact is not required, but we have sent you your Muse-ee's email address, in case you would like to reach out via email. For example, you might send an email to let your Muse-ee know when you have mailed something, so she knows to expect it. When contacting your Muse-ee by email, we suggest that you put something about "Mystery Muse" in the Subject line, so they will know to open the message from you. (For example..."A message from your Mystery Muse!") On the recipient end, it is a nice courtesy to respond to emails you receive from your Muse, so that she knows you received them. Q: How many times am I supposed to connect with my Muse-ee? A: Your commitment is to send two offerings via postal mail during the month of January. Q: What if I am not able to keep my commitment? If for any reason you are NOT able to keep this commitment, please contact our Mystery Muse Coordinator at MysteryMuse@artellaland.com as soon as possible, so that we can assign your Muse-ee to someone else. Q: Am I supposed to use my Muse-ee's "word" in some way? A: We asked each person who signed up to list one word that describes how she most wants to feel in 2012. We have shared this information with you so that you can use your Muse-ee's "word" as inspiration when creating your goodies, but it's not mandatory. Consider it extra inspiration, to use as you like. Q: My Muse-ee's mailing address is incomplete or unclear. A: If you have questions about your Muse-ee's mailing address, please send an email, asking to clarify. If the email address you received for your Muse-ee is not working, please contact our Mystery Muse Coordinator for help. Q: I'm not sure what I should send my Muse-ee...do you have any suggestions? A: Your offerings can be as simple or extensive as you like, and the only requirement is that is it something that you created yourself. Feel free to think simply: a 3 line Haiku poem sent with a pressed leaf...a handmade greeting card... a sketch drawn on a napkin in a restaurant... a photograph that you took… a copy of a short story you wrote. You can either create something specifically for your Muse-ee, or send something special that you've created before, that has just been waiting for the "right" recipient! Remember that these suggestions are just starting points, so please feel free to come up with your own new ideas, as well! Q: I haven't received anything from my Mystery Muse...what should I do? A: We'll be sending reminders throughout the month, and hope that everyone who signs up keeps their commitment. If, however, we reach the end of the month and you have not received anything from your assigned Mystery Muse, we'll give you the opportunity to request an "Angel Muse": someone who has volunteered to send extra goodies to those who need them. Each year, we commit to doing all we can to help make this project be a positive experience of giving and receiving for all involved, and our "Angel Muse Backup" system has worked well to faciliate a good experience for everyone. Q: How do I get my free gifty when I send out my second offering? A: As an extra incentive, when you notify us that you've mailed your second offering, you'll get a free gifty from Artella, just to thank you for keeping your commitment to your Mentee! We've set this gift up on an honor system basis: simply send a blank message to to mm-gift@aweber.com and you'll receive a free gifty from us! Q: I have a question that is not answered here. A: If you have any questions, please contact NanLeah, our Mystery Muse Coordinator, at mysterymuse@artellaland.com. Back to Artella Land home