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Imagine a place where you could reveal your deepest, darkest secrets without fear of judgment. Frank Warren did, and with that in mind he created the blog PostSecret in 2004. It's a site that posts the handmade postcards readers mail to him with a never-before-told secret written on it.

Now he's one of Forbes.com's top Web Celebrities of 2009, and his fifth book "POSTSECRET: Confessions on Life, Death, and God" has just been published. We thought we'd ask him a few questions on his inspiration, his new book -- and what makes for good secrets.

So your fifth book "POSTSECRET: Confessions on Life, Death, and God" was just released a few days ago. Sounds like some heavy stuff.

Yeah, ha, it's got secrets that are silly, sexual, hopeful, and heartbreaking. They're secrets more of a spiritual nature, though -- secrets that reveal our deeper connection with a higher power. One of them is a picture of a church steeple and it says, "I am too much woman for all the pansy ass guys at church."

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POSTSECRET: Confessions on Life, Death, and God
Click to read real confessions from the latest installment in the PostSecret book series.
Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

POSTSECRET: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    He may not have known it at the time, but Frank Warren started a movement in 2004 with his website, PostSecret.com. The idea was to invite visitors to anonymously hand make postcards with a secret on it. They would then send said postcard to Warren, who collected them all and posted some selections on the site every week. The only real rule is that the secret must be true and can't have ever been told before. The phenom grew, and soon Warren was holding art openings featuring select postcards and gathering them together for bestselling books.

    On Tuesday (Oct. 6th), Warren released the newest book in this community art project. Lemondrop has a few of the images that are showcased in the book to share with you here.

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God

    Courtesy of PostSecret: Confessions on Life, Death, and God


Where did you get the idea for PostSecret?
The idea was to create a safe, non-judgmental place for people to share the things they aren't usually comfortable discussing or sharing.

And about how many submissions per week do you receive and how do you choose which ones get posted?
I get about 1,000 secrets per week, and I post about 20 every Sunday. I look for a ring of authenticity and real human emotions. Every week there are secrets that might make you laugh or make you cry. I try to tell a story with the secrets.

What do you think makes PostSecret so popular?
It's the sense of authenticity. There's not many places where strangers can share this kind of vulnerability.

I know there's been a music video -- do you have any other plans for PostSecret, aside from the Web site and the books?
What I've been doing more of lately is going to schools and talking about it. Sharing the secrets and showing them on a screen behind me. And more and more students have been standing up afterward and sharing their secrets, which is very personal, and can be very ... emotional.

It must be a lot more challenging to in a non-anonymous atmosphere.
I think young people feel more comfortable talking about parts of their lives their parents never would have discussed.

Do you have a favorite PostSecret?
There was one that was sent in on a Starbucks cup. It said, "I give decaf to customers who are rude to me."

That's funny -- I used to work in a coffee shop and I would do the exact opposite. I would give regular coffee to people who ordered decaf, which is so terrible.
Oh, really? I'll have to remember that. Wow, learned something new today. I bet a could get a few good postcards from you.

Frank Warren's "POSTSECRET: Confessions on Life, Death, and God" is available everywhere books are sold. Buy your copy and help keep PostSecret alive! View the photo gallery for a small sample of what's inside.
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