14 February 2023 , 08:00
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While Valentine's Day can be criticised as a marketing gimmick by the cynics among us, millions choose to celebrate the holiday of love each year - and according to the Greeting Card Association's annual report, 19 million Valentine's Day cards were sold in the UK alone last year.
A simple card with a blank space inside might be preferred by those who feel comfortable coining their own message to express their emotions, but for those that need a bit of extra help, that's where Adam Yare comes in.
The 38-year-old has worked at Hallmark as a writer for nine years, and is now the Writing Director. The card company offers more than 1,400 varieties of greeting cards for Valentine's Day and Adam says it's one of their biggest and busiest periods.
Adam has written thousands of Valentine's Day cards for Hallmark (Hallmark)Cards can be planned, written and proofed a year before hitting the shelves - ranging from those with long, traditional verses to humorous cards with conversational language.
Although he doesn't think there is any converting the sceptics, he believes sending a card in the digital age is just what is needed.
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"I like to think that in an age of social media and instant messaging, the act of slowing down to choose, write, and then send something tangible and personal like a card, is a special gesture that is needed now more than ever," Adam, of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, told the Mirror.
The dad-of-one says taking the time to write and send a personalised message is needed now more than ever (Hallmark)The dad-of-one says he's professionally written thousands of Valentine's Day cards and specialises in humorous poems and authentic-sounding sentiments.
He has a whole team of writers to work with and loves seeing the poems and longer verses they come up with.
"It is my job to bring all this to life in collaboration with the design team and produce a card that feels like it was created just for them[the customer]," the journalism graduate said.
Adam doesn't think there is any converting the cynics that argue Valentine's Day is a marketing gimmick (Hallmark)"The proudest moment for me is seeing all my work published in print. I love going into shops that stock our ranges and secretly watching what people are picking up and buying - even better if they are laughing at our humour cards too."
He takes inspiration from changes in society and generational differences, through to popular culture, social media and developing language trends.
A particular period of change that impacted what his team produced was during lockdown at a time when the nation was forced to social distance.
He says "it's a wonderful feeling" to help others express their emotions (Adam Yare)
Adam and his daughter Aoife (Adam Yare)"The words had to mirror the huge emotional changes people were going through or else they wouldn't resonate authentically with their lives," the director added.
Although a self-confessed romantic, Adam says his partner Hannah, who is the Art Director at Hallmark, has probably had enough of reading his witty poems during their day jobs and now doesn't go overboard with gestures.
He lets their daughter, Aoife, two, do most of the work instead these days, he says.
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But helping other couples express their love for one another is the best part of the role.
"This is at the heart of what I do a as writer," Adam said.
"It's my job to create the words that people want to say but perhaps don't have the confidence to express themselves.
"To know that the writing I crafted is being read by people around the world at such a special time is a wonderful feeling."
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