Kintsugi
Kintsugi is an ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold and silver, teaching us to embrace our flaws and imperfections.
Damage is an inevitable part of life
The Kintsugi way considers damage a normal and even valuable part of history. It tells the story of a fully lived life. Pretending that the bowl is still perfect, by mending it in a way that would hide the repairs, denies its authenticity and dishonours its history. To be real means to tackle whatever life throws our way with courage. It means to try new ways of doing things. To occasionally take wrong turns, whether by accident or in protest. To fall and to get hurt, but to get back up and keep going.
Scars remind us that what was once broken, is now repaired
Instead of trying to hide the damage, Japanese artists highlight the repairs with gold and silver. Instead of hiding our wounds, let’s congratulate them by saying “Look, this place is broken but still intact!” Let’s honor the effort we put in to pick ourselves up after the fall and put the pieces back together. When we stop comparing ourselves to others and start treating ourselves with compassion and respect, we’ll be able to look back at past events and marvel at our strength and resilience. This is the Kintsugi way to health and well-being.
Repairing what’s broken creates strength and resilience
A broken ceramic bowel put back together again with precious metal inlays will be much stronger than it was before it broke. It may get chipped here and there, but it is unlikely to break again. The fact is, our scars represent lessons learnt and make us stronger. They represent wisdom paid for with pain. Learning from our past and looking forward with hope instead of despair is the Kintsugi way to a healthy mind and body.
Repairs made with care and love create a one-of-a-kind beauty
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. When we realise that our scars tell our story, no-one else has the same scars or the same story, when we realise that we are indeed unique because of our scars and our stories, then we can look at ourselves the Kintsugi way – with admiration and wonderment. Some damage, whether self-inflicted or inflicted on us by others, have long-lasting consequences and leaves deeper scars. The Kintsugi way encourages us to acknowledge and honour our past and our struggles, to celebrate our victories and to move forward with courage and wisdom.
“Wounds are where the light comes in.” Rumi (1207 – 1273)
With Love
