Some advice stays with you longer than the person who gave it.
In 2017, someone in a hostel in Seville gave me a piece of advice I still repeat. I no longer remember who said it. I’ve passed it on to friends and strangers, although my own packing habits suggest I only follow part of it.
A Collection of Advice for No One in Particular
Usually, when we ask for advice, we have something we need help with. For this proposal, you won’t need to explain your situation or arrive with a question about your own life.
Instead, you’ll ask four different people: “What advice would you give to someone you may never meet?”
I’ve included four cards for their answers. Once you’ve collected them, the instructions will help you choose one piece of advice to try and another to pass on. You don’t have to agree with everything people tell you. I’ve included a note about that too.
The Ordinary Archive
The extra in this envelope is about your life as it is right now. There are eight small cards with prompts for recording ordinary details, and an envelope to keep them in.
You can add a small piece of evidence from the present too, like a photograph or a receipt. Then you seal the envelope and put it somewhere safe, ready to open a year later. It’s a way of keeping a few things you might otherwise forget to remember.
Receiving the first issue
Issue 001 ships from Portugal on 10 November. Join by 5 November to receive this edition. Worldwide postage is included.
This is the first envelope. With a subscription, I’ll send you a different issue each month, with a new story, a proposal and the printed pieces that go with it. You can choose a monthly or six-month prepaid subscription.