For 2018: Broken is Better than New

02 Jan For 2018: Broken is Better than New

Kintsugi photo: June’s Child

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For 2018, consider the beauty in the broken.

With each new year comes new resolve in the form of “resolutions” that many of us make to ourselves, our relationships, our fiscal bottom line, and our scales.  Promises, expressions of regret perhaps, opportunities for redemption and a commitment to do better. To be better. Closer to “perfect”.   Social pressures compound our pessimistic views of ourselves.

But the negative voices in our heads and our social media feeds don’t take into consideration the internal beauty that comes from individualism and life experience.  And it is in the living of life — with success, failure, love, loss, joy and pain — that we become perfect.  We stumble, fall, get up again. Imperfect. Broken.

Kintsugi, also known as “golden joinery” is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery that dates back to the 15th century.  Instead of hiding the cracks and flaws, they are decorated, ornamented, and made part of the whole, creating a veritable work of art.

Beauty in the broken.

Kintsugi combines many philosophies together, making this practice of art one of life as well.  There’s Wabi-sabi, seeing beauty in the flawed or imperfect;  mottainai, which expresses regret when something is wasted, and mushin, which is the acceptance of change.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could consider ourselves works of art?  With the scars, cracks, broken parts — present and accounted for….that within all the imperfection lies our perfection.

We hope your year ahead is perfect.