Frank Warren (1) (1964–)
Author of PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives
For other authors named Frank Warren, see the disambiguation page.
Series
Works by Frank Warren
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Warren, Frank
- Birthdate
- 1964-03-21
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of California, Berkeley (Social Sciences)
- Occupations
- artist
- Organizations
- Postsecret.blogspot.com
National Mental Health Association
Hopeline (1800SUICIDE) - Awards and honors
- Weblog of the Year (2007)
Outstanding Contribution to Public Awareness of Mental Health Disorders (National Mental Health Association)
Mental Health Advisory Lifetime Achievement Award - Short biography
- Called 'the most trusted stranger in America,' Frank Warren is the sole founder and curator of the PostSecret Project: A collection of nearly 200,000 highly personal and artfully decorated postcards mailed anonymously from around the world, displaying the soulful secrets we never voice, and the creator of the phenomenally successful, New York Times best-selling PostSecret books: PostSecret, The Secret Lives of Men and Women, My Secret, and now, A Lifetime of Secrets.
The deeply devoted and ever-increasing following of the PostSecret books and Web site has made Warren one of the most sought after public speakers. He travels across the country, speaking at universities, museums, conferences, and art galleries about the PostSecret Project. He gives a moving presentation about how he became an 'accidental artist' and the power of secrets. His award-winning program is a multimedia presentation in which he shares many of the secrets that were kept out of the books.
In 2007, Warren's PostSecret Web site (which receives more than 1,000,000 visitors every week) was awarded three weblog awards including 'Blog of the Year,' and 'Best Community Blog.' PostSecret was also awarded the Webby Award for best NetArt. The National Mental Health Association presented PostSecret with an award for Outstanding Contribution in raising public awareness about issues of mental health and suicide. His traveling exhibition of PostSecret cards was called by the Washington Post, 'One of the five best art shows in 2005.'
Warren lives in Germantown, Maryland, with his wife and daughter. - Nationality
- USA
- Places of residence
- Germantown, Maryland, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Maryland, USA
Members
Reviews
A compelling book of the confessions and secrets from the PostSecret website - the project that captured a nation's imagination.
The instructions were simple, but the results were extraordinary. 'You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything - as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative.'
It all began show more with an idea Frank Warren had for a community art project. He handed out postcards, asking people to write down a secret and post it to him, anonymously. The response was overwhelming. In under a year, Frank had over 10,000 cards which he posted on the website. show less
The instructions were simple, but the results were extraordinary. 'You are invited to anonymously contribute a secret to a group art project. Your secret can be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire, confession or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything - as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before. Be brief. Be legible. Be creative.'
It all began show more with an idea Frank Warren had for a community art project. He handed out postcards, asking people to write down a secret and post it to him, anonymously. The response was overwhelming. In under a year, Frank had over 10,000 cards which he posted on the website. show less
PostSecret is a wonderful museum in book form. Excellent emotional tool and an eye-opening experience to remind you of your human side and that you should always remember someone else is fighting a battle you don't always see. These books have personal accounts of real people who share their secrets on a handmade postcard- shipped anonymously to be featured and provide some sense of coping, closure or to even remind others of their own feelings from time to time. Inspiring community project show more that I think would be nice to see in classrooms (psychology classes or humanities classes) show less
No one wants to drown in her sorrows or enjoy others' torments, but there is a wonderous, small lifting of loneliness when we discover that perfect strangers share our deceptively unique fears and hidden truths. POST SECRET stings you with the little messages scattered throughout its pages of anonymous postcards sent to Frank Warren, the man who put together this book.
I'm obviously not referring to the postcard from a man stating he survived 9/11 and never told his family or friends. Nor am show more I thinking of the Starbucks employee who gives decaf coffee to the customers who tick him off.
The postcards that resonate with many readers are the heart-breaking pleas, rants against the self or the endearingly honest confessions of childhood memories they cannot let go of easily.
The simplest ones, accompanied with beautifully constructed drawings or collages, hit home the hardest. One POST SECRET contributor, for instance, sent in a picture of her dog, along with the words, "I'm afraid no one will ever love me as much as my dog does."
POST SECRET reminds us that sometimes we can see ourselves in strangers more than we can in our friends or families. It's a scary thought, but it's also a strangely comforting one. show less
I'm obviously not referring to the postcard from a man stating he survived 9/11 and never told his family or friends. Nor am show more I thinking of the Starbucks employee who gives decaf coffee to the customers who tick him off.
The postcards that resonate with many readers are the heart-breaking pleas, rants against the self or the endearingly honest confessions of childhood memories they cannot let go of easily.
The simplest ones, accompanied with beautifully constructed drawings or collages, hit home the hardest. One POST SECRET contributor, for instance, sent in a picture of her dog, along with the words, "I'm afraid no one will ever love me as much as my dog does."
POST SECRET reminds us that sometimes we can see ourselves in strangers more than we can in our friends or families. It's a scary thought, but it's also a strangely comforting one. show less
PostSecret began in 2004 when Frank Warren asked members of the public to anonymously contribute a secret to a community art project. The secret could be a regret, fear, betrayal, desire or even confession of childhood humiliation and contributors were encouraged to reveal their secret on a decorated postcard and send it in. His goal at the time was to receive 365 postcards.
Much to Warren's surprise, the project took off and he has received well over a million secrets. Frank Warren has show more published six collections of secrets from the art project, with The World of PostSecret being his sixth, published in 2014.
The secrets cover the full gamut of topics and feelings. Some make you smile, like these two.
"I wear an AC/DC shirt under my clergy robes." Page 78
"Sometimes, if my dog refuses to eat, I pretend to cook his food on the stove. Works every time!" Page 84
Some secrets plucked on the heart strings:
"My wealthy husband has been divorced 7 times because he found out they were only with him for his money. He married me because he thinks I'm different. I'm not." Page 48
Others blew my mind a little:
"Everyone who knew me before 9/11 believes I'm dead." Page 122 (9/11)
This secret stayed with me for days, and the author has heard from someone connected with large-scale tragedies, who claims that "in rare cases, people have been known to use a large disaster as an opportunity to start a new life and leave behind a looming divorce or escape imminent bankruptcy."
I find that astonishing to consider. I know some people voluntarily disappear to begin a new life, but presumably they plan to do so beforehand. A new identity requires money and a plan, so I can't imagine how a person could re-invent themselves after an unexpected event like 9/11. You couldn't pack a single thing and you'd never be able to travel again with facial recognition cameras everywhere for a start. Boggles the mind. Unless they chose a life of anonymity on the streets. I wish I knew more about this particular secret.
There were secrets that made me angry, like this one:
"I can't make you love me... but I can make something that you'll love." Page 245
And gross secrets, like this one:
"My husband and I shower together almost every day... He has NO idea that I pee in there EVERY TIME! Hehe :-) " Page 257
Firstly, that's disgusting! Secondly, of course he knows. How could he not know?
The scope of the PostSecret project is enormous and this particular collection comprises a great variety of secrets, including secrets from the short-lived PostSecret App that was closed down in 2011 due to malicious and uncontrollable content.
I was surprised to find that Frank Warren is looking for a new partner for the project and potentially someone to take over PostSecret for good. I wonder what it takes to run a project like this. I know I don't have the stomach for it, that's for sure.
The World of PostSecret is a look into the hearts and minds of everyday people like you and me, and I found pondering its pages produced a mixed bag of emotions. I think I'll be glad to return it to the library and be thankful I don't have any secrets like that. Or do I? show less
Much to Warren's surprise, the project took off and he has received well over a million secrets. Frank Warren has show more published six collections of secrets from the art project, with The World of PostSecret being his sixth, published in 2014.
The secrets cover the full gamut of topics and feelings. Some make you smile, like these two.
"I wear an AC/DC shirt under my clergy robes." Page 78
"Sometimes, if my dog refuses to eat, I pretend to cook his food on the stove. Works every time!" Page 84
Some secrets plucked on the heart strings:
"My wealthy husband has been divorced 7 times because he found out they were only with him for his money. He married me because he thinks I'm different. I'm not." Page 48
Others blew my mind a little:
"Everyone who knew me before 9/11 believes I'm dead." Page 122 (9/11)
This secret stayed with me for days, and the author has heard from someone connected with large-scale tragedies, who claims that "in rare cases, people have been known to use a large disaster as an opportunity to start a new life and leave behind a looming divorce or escape imminent bankruptcy."
I find that astonishing to consider. I know some people voluntarily disappear to begin a new life, but presumably they plan to do so beforehand. A new identity requires money and a plan, so I can't imagine how a person could re-invent themselves after an unexpected event like 9/11. You couldn't pack a single thing and you'd never be able to travel again with facial recognition cameras everywhere for a start. Boggles the mind. Unless they chose a life of anonymity on the streets. I wish I knew more about this particular secret.
There were secrets that made me angry, like this one:
"I can't make you love me... but I can make something that you'll love." Page 245
And gross secrets, like this one:
"My husband and I shower together almost every day... He has NO idea that I pee in there EVERY TIME! Hehe :-) " Page 257
Firstly, that's disgusting! Secondly, of course he knows. How could he not know?
The scope of the PostSecret project is enormous and this particular collection comprises a great variety of secrets, including secrets from the short-lived PostSecret App that was closed down in 2011 due to malicious and uncontrollable content.
I was surprised to find that Frank Warren is looking for a new partner for the project and potentially someone to take over PostSecret for good. I wonder what it takes to run a project like this. I know I don't have the stomach for it, that's for sure.
The World of PostSecret is a look into the hearts and minds of everyday people like you and me, and I found pondering its pages produced a mixed bag of emotions. I think I'll be glad to return it to the library and be thankful I don't have any secrets like that. Or do I? show less
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 6
- Members
- 7,036
- Popularity
- #3,480
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 179
- ISBNs
- 22
- Favorited
- 14
