Secret Message Zine

Front of red envelope with black question mark inside a white circle.

Back of red envelope with bolded text reading: I WROTE YOU A SECRET MESSAGE. IT IS LOCATED INSIDE THIS ENVELOPE. DO YOU WISH TO READ IT?

From Lily, to Joseph. Hi Jospeh, I hear that you like Artists! And that you're a neuroscientist. What a fascinating combination! Would you like a Brain drawing from me? It'll look like this, but bigger & more realistic: (doodle of brain). Also, I know some neuro anatomy. I know this is the brain stem (arrow pointing to brain stem).

Secret message blurred — this participant did not consent to sharing it.

User did not consent to
sharing their secret message.

From Daniel, to X. If I shared my story, if I shared my secret then that would be admitting it to myself. I don't know if I am ready for that.

From X, to Nick. I am writing this on my typewriter because I want to stay anonymous. The world already knows too much about us - X

User did not consent to
sharing their secret message.

From Gabrielle, to Brogan. Dear Brogan, thank you for your gracious sacrifice to the red envelope! You've been a super cool dude to get to know over the past few months & I consider myself super lucky to have someone like you in my corner. Next time you visit Miami, I promise to show you all the nasty parts + the super cool local parts, so you can get a better read on all the vibes. You have a lot of really cool stuff in your brain that you use to create content online, and you're one of the more research-heavy creators I know, but my question is this: Do you ever miss art school, and had you followed your original path - what would life look like at 26? (ideal scenario) - Gabrielle. PS stripped of anything else, deep-down 'Gabrielle' is quite soft & silly. A true trickster archetype! Being raised under harsh standards made me hyper-aware of being 'sloppy'.

User did not consent to
sharing their secret message.

From Michelle, to Tat. To my dearest Tat, you are the morning star that shoots across the night sky. You have been the brightest light in everyone's lives, your care, attention, and love that you give is irreplacable. Your spunk, passion & sense of adventure in life is going to take you so far in life. You are deepy appreciated, loved, and I'm excited to see you grow as an artist, woman and free spirit (heart). Love you so much, Michelle.

From Tat, to Edie. You are the light behind the camera! Your endless creativity inspired me (heart). Your taste and sense of style are remarkable and I'm waiting for your outfit video everyday. I cannot wait to how you continue to express your ideas and thoughts. I love glimpsing the world through your eyes (heart) Tat.

From Edie, to Liza. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to send this last message to you Liza... I'm not sure how this last message is supposed to work (smiley face). But my message to you is thank you for being so fun and shaping your brain with the world. You got cool shit going on up in your dome. (drawing of a brain with crazy stuff coming out, with an arrow pointing from descriptive text: This is supposed to be ur brain

User did not consent to
sharing their secret message.

From Louis, to Rich. Why do you think some people are so averse to sincerity? Do you think people like that secrecy yearn for deeper connection? Why do you think people lie to their therapists? What are the benifits of irony? What are the costs?

From Rich, to Kelly. Why can being alone feel heavy? Yet too much time around others feels overwhelming? Humans are social creatures, but also deeply individual, requiring both connection and solitude to feel whole. The silence of solitude can be healing or haunting depending on the mind that fills it. Likewise the noise of company can be comforting or chaotic, all depending. What a strange tension in the human condition. We crave presence while needing distance. Does either extreme offer (unlegible)? Perhaps the art of living well lies not in constant precense or absence but in learning when to seek each.

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Secret Message Zine

Collection of scribbled notes from the 2025 Secret Message Project.

Evgo Stillwell · June 12 2026

Game hijinx v2

This red envelope contained instructions for an an interactive social game called The Secret Message Project. You can tell that it’s a secret by the huge question mark printed on the front.

The project is a ‘broken-telephone’ type game, where the participants are challenged to share written messages.

Participants need to write a secret message directed to a person of their choosing. This will likely be a friend or family member, but could be a stranger as well. They must present this envelope to a target, and request that they continue the chain-reaction of secret message sending. By coercing others into this mysterious activity, this develops a synthetic “clique” of individuals who have exclusive access to this unique experience of exchanging secret messages.

This construct is inspired by rejection-therapy practices. While the primary participants have bought into this project and can expect this weirdness, the secondary participants likely have no clue about the origins of this project. In some communities, peculiar ideas like this are the norm, and some friend groups won’t blink twice at such a proposal. However, others might be the only unconventional creative in their social cirlces, and might be challenged when asking non-artistic friends or co-workers to engage with the project, and even risk rejection.

If a messenger experiences a rejection or the envelope is returned, they must cross out the secret message they wrote to that individual, and try again with a new target.