Kintsugi: The Japanese Art That Sends a Powerful Message

For centuries humans have relied on the arts to express their beliefs, stories and lessons. This was (and still is) done through written poetry, carefully crafted paintings, novels, photography and in this case, even pottery.

The ancient Japanese art of Kintsugi is unique in how it conveys its message - it’s blatantly obvious. There’s no guessing, no dissecting the meaning of a word, phrase or painted object. It stands purely as its own clear and simple message - a message which has carried meaning and value for centuries.

The idea of Kintsugi is to take a piece of pottery that has been broken or cracked in some way, and fill in the broken pieces with gold to embrace its imperfections. The end result is something stunningly unique that makes for a very special piece of art. The origins of Kintsugi are difficult to trace, but it’s believed that Ashikaga Yoshimasa, a Japanese military leader sent his cracked tea bowl over to China to have it mended. When it was sent back to him, however, it was sent back with some kind of gaudy metal staples. To please the shogun, artists began looking for other ways to fix the bowl, and thus Kintsugi was created!

This method of pottery details the art of healing, and herein lies an important message - Embracing your imperfections and scars can exude strength and beauty. This may sound cheesy, but it’s a metaphor that is valuable to remember. The scars in your life don't make you weak, they make you who you are and they make you your whole self. Going through those tough times in your life, whether it’s losing a loved one, losing a job or even dealing with disappointment, can make you a better version of yourself when you come out on the other side. The process itself may suck, there’s no doubting that, but growing from the experience may help you in the long run.