Kintsugi 金継ぎ is the ancient Japanese art of putting broken things back together.
The word Kintsugi comes from the Japanese Kin (gold) and Tsugi (join), and therefore literally means: golden joinery. The art of Kintsugi is called Kintsukuroi, meaning “mending with gold”.
Kintsugi is a repair technique in which ceramic pieces are put back together to form a new whole - the "scars" are then covered with real gold. Behind this is the idea that all things are unique - and breakage is not the end.
Kintsugi as a Metaphor for Life
Kintsugi is a strong metaphor for life. We all experience difficulties and traumatic events in our lives.
Applying Kintsugi to our lives means being bold, rather than hiding the cracks and imperfections, we can investigate them, possibly accept them and find new perspectives in these live events.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
– Leonard Cohen, Anthem
If we look at the repaired pottery with its golden scars, we may interpret imperfections as a source of strength and beauty. This reminds us of our uniqueness, our inner strengths, and resilience. We are able to discover meaning in the most challenging life events.
I can bear any pain as long as it has meaning. – Haruki Murakami
The Art of Kintsugi is an Invitation for Growth.
At Finde Zukunft, we have conducted extensive research on the Art of Kintsugi. In workshops, we have discovered the power of the visual aspect of kintsugi. Rather than trying to explain the concept through words, we often find that the pictures of the repaired pottery speak for themselves.
We carefully drafted some meditation practices around Kintsugi. We found it helpful, to use “Kintsugi” as an acronym, that helps you to remember the process and investigate your own resources (in the meaning of Viktor Frankl) for healing and transformation.
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. – Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
This acronym may be helpful for identifying and reframing areas in your life, that need attention:
K.I.N.T.S.U.G.I.
K — Kindness: Without kindness and love, we cannot heal. We can also think of “care” and self-care here.
“Being cut off from our own natural self-compassion is one of the greatest impairments we can suffer.” – Gabor Maté
Care derives from the Proto-West-Germanic word “Karu”. Care means to devote thoughts to ourselves and consider us important enough to be worthy of concern. For any healing or restoration, we asked to consider our breakage with an intention of care and kindness:
What do I need right now?
How can I look at what happened with a voice and eyes of self-kindness?
How would a close friend act?
What would a voice of compassion say?
I — Investigate: Kintsugi is a process of diligence and requires attention to detail. This is an essential prerequisite for restoration. This principle applies to our wounds as well. In my conversation with Dr. James Doty, I learned from him:
“It’s the same with the wound in our hearts. We need to give them our attention so that they can heal. Otherwise the wounds continue to cause us pain.” – James R. Doty
You may invite yourself to be an investigator of your life.
How would you describe your situation from an outside perspective?
What detail needs attention?
N — Notice: Notice what’s broken. Take time and just notice.
What in your life needs attention right now?
T — Time: Healing needs time. This is often overseen in the repair process: This is often overseen in the repair process: Most of the time the broken cup will rest in a cupboard ranging from two days to two weeks. At this time, the lacquer hardens. The Kintsugi object will gain strength.
Often we want a “quick fix”. But there’s no shortcut to healing.
What process in your life needs time and rest?
S — Stillness: Kintsugi is a silent process. The healing is happening in moments of stillness. The broken cup becomes stronger in the pause. It requires trust and patience.
What is stopping you from allowing yourself to sit in stillness with yourself?
Are there any assumptions that prevent you from exploring stillness and taking time to rest and heal?
U — Urushii: The Japanese lacquer used in kintsugi is called urushii. In its purest form, urushii is highly poisonous, but it is also one of the strongest materials for restoring the original shape of broken pottery.
The poisonous nature of urushii and its ability to heal represents a strong visual duality in the kintsugi process. Urushii can be harmful, but when applied correctly, it has the power to restore.
This dichotomy is another metaphor for the difficulties we encounter. At first, these challenges may be harmful and difficult to navigate, but if we approach them with care, we can heal and become stronger.
Viktor Frankl emphasized the importance of viewing our past challenges as resources for our lives, as they shape and form us and help us to develop the skills and resilience we need to overcome future difficulties.
What resources can you recall?
What unique tools have they brought into your toolbox?
G — Gold: The gold seals the cracks. They become golden scars. They can be a strong manifestation of the impact, that these life events have on our lives. Yet the golden shining displays strength, uniqueness and beauty. They represent our ability to heal. They are a sign of personal growth and transformation.
What cracks brought light into your life?
What did the cracks reveal?
Which life events can you see as “golden memories” today?
I — Intention:
What is your intention now that you witness the Kintsugi process?
While the cup may have the appearance of its old shape, it is also a new creation in its own right.
You may sit and contemplate.
Allow some awe and wonder about the process,
allow some gratefulness.
What have you found in this process?
What is possible from here?
What is new?
