Kintsugi is a Japanese art form mostly known for being used in repairing broken ceramics employing a special lacquer mixed with gold, silver or platinum. “The philosophy behind the technique is to recognize the history of the object and to visibly incorporate the repair into the new piece instead of disguising it. The process usually results in something more beautiful than the original.”
I eagerly want to apply this to humans.
We all know none of us make it through life without enduring various sizes of trauma. From heartaches when losing a first pet, or a devastating loss from the death of a loved one, to a betrayal from an intimate, or having endured emotional, verbal or physical abuse -to only name a few – we all have painful events that “cracked” us in some way, leaving us emotionally and psychologically scarred; different and less innocent than we were before.
And more often than not we want to erase it. We want – understandably – to forget it ever happened. We attempt to return to our previous self , or to the relationship or lifestyle we had before, to our innocence; before the damage was done. We want to cover up any evidence that we have chipped, cracked or shattered from our experiences.
“But shame is like a word that is never exposed and therefore never heals” – Andreas Eschbach
The more we try to hide our scars and cracks, the more we postpone the chance to heal. The more we try to hide big pieces (or missing pieces) of ourselves hoping no one will notice, the more we may operate from a place of shame which keeps us, ironically, identifying as broken. By accepting, embracing and sharing the consequences of our sufferings, we fill in our “cracks” with new found strength, wisdom and growth. Like Kintsugi, we “wear” our repair, rather than trying to hide it.
Think of yourself as a mosaic comprised of various fragments from previously intact pottery pieces. You make a lovelier new whole.
Being beautiful in your brokenness, let your cracks and scars turn to gold.