What happens when our childhood obsessions become the map of who we are? 

In this episode of Charmed, host Sam Todd is joined by author and the internet's queen of memory collecting Martina Calvi, to chat about a lifelong love affair with junk journaling, ephemera and the tiny treasures that hold a whole story. 

Martina takes us behind the scenes of her creative life - from starting her first travel journal on an epic three-month European family trip at age eight, to building her stunning trilogy of books, including her latest release, The Art of Snail Mail.  

They dive deep into the emotional side of collecting: how handwriting and handmade letters act as the ultimate antidote to digital "slop", why perfectionism is the enemy of creativity, and why the scuffed, dirty little things we hold onto mean we are actually living. 

Plus, in a very special show-and-tell moment, Martina brings in a gorgeous handmade parcel filled with tactile treasures for Sam, and they tackle your listener questions on the brutal realities and unexpected costs of writing and publishing your first book. 

Charmed, with Sam Todd. Stories worn to tell, with Pandora. 

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HOSTED BY: Sam Todd 

PRODUCED BY: Sally Best 

DOP: Becky Lillyman

VIDEO EDITOR: Phoebe Edwards

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Shauna Anderson

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast.