Education & Career Trends: September 5
Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
- Article by Naya Lizardo, published on medium.com.
Kintsugi artisans do not hide the fractures in a broken pottery piece; they illuminate them, filling the fissures with precious metals like gold or silver. Instead of disguising the damage, they honour it, they celebrate it, turning the cracked piece into a masterpiece, even more, beautiful and precious than it was before its breakage.
Imagine, then, looking at our own scars — both visible and invisible — not as blemishes, but as a testament to our strength, our resilience, and our capacity to mend.
Imagine viewing our past not as a series of misfortunes that diminish our worth, but as episodes of life that fortify our identity. The golden seams of our healing are not sources of shame but signs of our strength, symbols of our resilience.
They are the proof that we have faced adversity and emerged more vibrant and valuable — perfect in our imperfection.
Understanding Kintsugi
Kintsugi, which translates to “golden joinery” or “golden repair,” is a centuries-old Japanese art form that emphasizes the repair of broken pottery. Instead of hiding the fractures in a broken piece, Kintsugi magnifies them, filling the cracks with a lacquer resin mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. This creates a striking golden seam that highlights, rather than hides, the object’s past.
The practice is believed to have originated in the 15th century when a shogun sent a cracked tea bowl back to China for repairs. When the tea bowl came back fixed with unattractive metal staples, Japanese craftsmen looked for a more aesthetic means of repair. This led to the birth of Kintsugi.
But beyond the physical art form, Kintsugi carries profound philosophical implications. It’s closely associated with the Japanese philosophy of “wabi-sabi,” which finds beauty in imperfections and transience. Kintsugi is a physical manifestation of resilience, the capacity to mend and the potency of transformation.
Applying the Kintsugi philosophy to our lives, particularly to our self-worth, offers a transformative lens to perceive our experiences.
Each of us has experienced moments of breakage — times when life didn’t go as planned, times when our hearts were broken, and times when we felt our self-worth crumble under the weight of our mistakes or failures. These moments may have left us feeling broken or diminished.
Yet, just as a piece of Kintsugi pottery is not less valuable because of its breaks, we too are not less valuable because of our struggles. Indeed, the Kintsugi approach encourages us to view these cracks or flaws not as failures, but as vital parts of our personal narrative. These experiences are our golden repairs, serving as reminders of our strength and ability to grow and evolve.
In this light, our self-worth is not a static entity, whittled away by every misstep or hardship. Instead, it is an ever-evolving reflection of our journey, of our ability to mend, to learn, and to come out stronger. Through Kintsugi, we can learn to honour our scars, and in doing so, rebuild a sense of self-worth that is rooted not in the illusion of perfection, but in the beautiful reality of our resilience and growth.
Practical Ways to Apply Kintsugi to Self-Worth
The first step towards understanding and applying Kintsugi to your self-worth begins with a deep, honest, and sometimes painful self-reflection. Much like a Kintsugi artist would first examine a shattered piece of pottery to understand its breaks and cracks— your regrets, your failures, and the moments of weakness you would rather forget.
However, in this process, you realise something crucial: to truly heal and piece ourselves back together, we must be willing to shine a light on these fragments of our past, no matter how painful or uncomfortable they may be. It’s not about wallowing in regret or self-pity, but about acknowledging these experiences as part of our unique life journey.
Here are some practical steps you can take to facilitate this process of self-reflection:
1. Journaling
Make writing a therapeutic tool for your self-reflection journey. Write down your thoughts, feelings, and memories associated with the challenging experiences you have faced. This should be a safe space where you can express yourself freely, without fear of judgment or criticism. These journaling prompts can help you get started:
- Describe a time when you felt truly broken. What emotions and thoughts were going through your mind at that time?
- How did you cope during this difficult time? What were some coping mechanisms that were helpful and which ones were not as effective?
- Write about the immediate aftermath of this experience. How did you start picking up the pieces?
- In what ways did this experience affect your perception of yourself and your self-worth?
- Looking back at that time now, can you identify any lessons learned or strengths gained from this experience?
2. Mindfulness and Meditation
These practices can be beneficial in keeping you present and focused during your self-reflection process. Through mindfulness and meditation, aim to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment, which can lead to a better understanding and acceptance of your experiences.
Cultivate a Mindset of Self-Acceptance
Accepting oneself, warts and all, can be challenging, but it’s a crucial step in mending our fractured self-esteem and sense of self-worth. Our imperfections, our ‘flaws’, do not detract from our value. Instead, they add depth and complexity to our character, much like the golden veins add character to a piece of Kintsugi pottery.
This change doesn’t happen overnight — it requires patience, persistence, and kindness towards yourself. These steps can help you in embracing your own imperfections.
1. Reframing
Start by reframing how you view imperfections. Rather than seeing them as flaws, see them as unique aspects of your character that make you who you are. Just as in Kintsugi, where the cracks and breaks in a piece of pottery are emphasized and celebrated, learn to appreciate your “cracks” as signs of resilience, growth, and strength.
2. Positive Affirmations
Regularly practice self-affirmations that focus on embracing your imperfections. This could be as simple as looking in the mirror each morning and stating, “I am perfectly imperfect, and that’s okay.” Here are some additional affirmation ideas:
- My imperfections make me human and uniquely me, and that is my strength.
- Each day, I grow more comfortable with who I am, my flaws and all.
- I am resilient and capable of overcoming any challenge that comes my way.
- I love myself, unconditionally, imperfections and all.
- I am proud of my journey and the person I have become.
It’s important to choose affirmations that you connect with on a deep level. They should feel authentic and natural to you, something that speaks to your unique journey and experiences.
3. Gratitude
Create a daily habit of writing down or reflecting on things you are grateful for, including your unique imperfections and personal triumphs. This practice can redirect your focus from solely dwelling on negative aspects to embracing the full spectrum of yourself, flaws and all, nurturing a more balanced and accepting view of your true self.
4. Seek Out Positive Relationships
Surround yourself with people who uplift and affirm you. Positive relationships can help reinforce your sense of self-worth and acceptance. Distance yourself from toxic or unsupportive relationships, and nurture connections with those who appreciate and accept you for who you are.
Exploring Art
Find an art form that resonates with you — be it painting, poetry, music, or even pottery. Through art, you can explore and express your imperfections creatively, which can be a cathartic and empowering experience.
1. Learning New Skills
Embrace the learning process with a new hobby or skill. This will inevitably involve making mistakes, which is a perfect way to practice being comfortable with imperfection.
2. Connect with Nature
Spend time in nature. Observing the imperfections in natural environments — like the gnarled shape of an old tree or the uneven colours in a sunset — can provide a different perspective on the beauty of imperfections.
3. Volunteer
Helping others can shift your focus away from your perceived imperfections. It also enables you to connect with others on a deeper level, promoting feelings of self-worth and self-acceptance.
Final Thoughts
In the journey of life, each of us is a unique work of art — scarred, yet beautiful. Just as Kintsugi honours the history of a piece of pottery, we too can honour our own personal history — our struggles, our triumphs, and everything in between. By applying the principles of Kintsugi, we learn to value our imperfections as much as our strengths. We come to understand that our experiences, even the painful ones, add depth and richness to our story.
The philosophy of Kintsugi has shown me that there’s no such thing as “perfect.” We are all, in our own unique ways, perfectly imperfect. The challenges we’ve faced and the healing we’ve done make us who we are — extraordinary individuals with an incredible capacity for resilience and growth.
Remember, life doesn’t break us; it shapes us. And like the golden veins of a repaired Kintsugi bowl, our imperfections make us more unique, more valuable, and incredibly beautiful.
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Have you checked out yesterday’s blog yet
Live Fully in the Present, Not in Your Head
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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