Inevitably anything that we create and appears perfect will either break or, in time, become worn and now imperfect. Accepting it for what it is and embracing the imperfections to come is necessary. We all develop scars in time, and our ability to wear them and accept them will determine how we can grow. If we seek to hide them, we dedicate our attention to fabricating something we know is not reality and inevitably is seen by others. The imperfections and cracks are evident.
The Japanese practice of Kintsugi is an art form dedicated to the repair of broken pottery. Instead of attempting to make it exactly how it was before, crafters use gold or color to accent the break and make it easily recognizable. The imperfection is the feature. It symbolizes frailty, beauty, and strength.
If we can adopt Kintsugi and embrace the imperfect, we will be able to see ourselves for all our beauty while still accepting our flaws and moving beyond them. When we do not allow them to stand out, we spend all the time trying to disguise them. Instead, spend the time productively elsewhere.
Kintsugi is a metaphor for life where nothing is truly ever broken. Some view it as resilience and the ability to put together fragments of ourselves and, in the process, restore those broken elements, both physical and psychological.
