34 | MAY 14 • 2020
Arts&Life
art
J
odi Beals describes herself as an energetic
people person with a commitment to
career, community and hands-on artistry.
That explains how she came up with the idea
for her latest project — note cards.
“I love art, and I painted a colorful heart
design with acrylics on canvas,” Beales told
the Jewish News.
Although Beals has lived in Chicago for
almost eight years and works as a business
development director for Groupon, she
decided to return to West Bloomfield to
social distance near family, remotely com-
pleting full-time job responsibilities. At the
same time, she decided to turn her colorful
painting of heart designs into stationery
that can connect others one-to-one, bring in
extra income and raise funds for the CDC
Foundation, which supports the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in combating
COVID-19.
“I had the design transferred to cardstock
to be used for postcards or multi-purpose
cards to be mailed on birthdays, as invitations
or simply notes that send messages of love at
a time when we can’
t be together,” she said.
Beals will donate 20 percent of proceeds to
the CDC Foundation.
“My interest in art began when I was a little
girl visiting my great-grandfather Abraham
Lack,” Beals, 36, recalled. “He was a wonder-
ful artist who began this hobby in his 80s,
and his walls were covered with landscapes
and still lifes.”
Impressed with what he’
d done, Beals tried
artistry of her own. “I turned to the abstract
for some different kinds of images, and
my downtown apartment walls display my
designs that I think provide a contemporary
decor.”
Beals attended Hillel Day School and West
Bloomfield High School before going on to
graduate from Michigan State University,
where she majored in communication. She
had her bat mitzvah at the synagogue now
known as Congregation Beth Ahm and
joined in activities with the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit.
“I have almost 3,000 friends on Facebook,
and so many have been responsive to my
postings about these cards,” Beals said. “I’
m
reconnecting with people I haven’
t talked to
in a long time, and I’
m so glad that they want
to support this project.”
The cards come in packages of 50 with-
out envelopes and cost $30. They can be
ordered by calling Beals at her customized
phone number, 866.REDHAIR, or sending
her an email at 866.REDHAIR@gmail.com.
Payments can be made through PayPal or
Venmo.
“Orders for these cards have brought me a
special bonus,” Beals said. “Delivering near-
by orders allows me some fresh air. I leave
the packages on porches so there’
s no per-
son-to-person contact. The person-to-person
connections are meant for the handwritten
cards.”
Artistic notecards keep people connected
and fi
ght COVID-19.
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Art of a
Handwritten
Note
“I’m reconnecting
with people I
haven’t talked
to in a long time,
and I’m so glad
that they want
to support this
project.”
— JODI BEALS
Jodi Beals
PHOTOS COURTESY OF JODI BEALS