I am 52. I have wrinkles. I have lived. I have actually been through a lot – we all have really. No matter what we have been through we are essentially beautiful.
Anyone who reads my blog will know that my personal philosophy is to strive to be fabulous despite what life throws at us. I wear make-up and do my hair, I like wearing nice clothes and looking pretty. It is not about vanity, but rather about celebration and determination.
The one thing that I have never done though is to hide my imperfections.
I was scrolling through Facebook recently and saw this fabulous meme about a Japanese art form called Kintsugi. Basically broken pottery is mended with gold – highlighting the flaws and making them beautiful rather than hiding them. It is also about celebrating an object rather than trashing it.
I found this explanation on www.lakesidepottery.com.
Kintsugi Art Metaphor: “Mending Broken Pottery With Gold”
What Can We Learn From a Broken Pot?
Kintsugi, as the practice is known, gives new life or rebirth to damaged or aging ceramic objects by celebrating their flaws and history. One can consider how we might live a kintsugi life, finding value in the, missing pieces, cracks and chips – bringing to light the scars that have come from life experiences, finding new purpose through aging and loss, seeing the beauty of ‘imperfection’ and loving ourselves, family and friends even with flaws.
What do we do with something that breaks. We throw it away. In Japan, the philosophy is to embrace imperfections (Wabi Sabi) and this is the source of the art of Kintsugi.
I don’t often write about my own cracks and breaks. I do have them though, many of them. Some from age, and others from circumstance. These cracks are what makes me. It is our experiences and life that we have lived that makes us the beautiful humans that we are.
Let us embrace our imperfections. Celebrate ourselves with our cracks and breaks in sparkling gold. I don’t mean that we should dwell on the negative, but rather acknowledge it and how much stronger it has made us.
Signing off as a beautiful kintsugi vase, showing off my imperfections.
Kerry xx
