THE JAPANESE ART OF KINTSUGI AND MENTAL HEALTH

Kintsugi, as the legend goes, started when a 15th-century Japanese Shogun sent his favourite tea bowl to China for a bit of TLC after a bit of a mishap. It came back stapled together, which he thought was a right mess. Not one to settle, he challenged local craftsmen to sort it out. They got their heads down and came up with a clever trick: mixing resin with gold dust, which turned the repair job into an art form that got a major thumbs-up. Pretty soon, smashing bowls became the in thing (seriously, people started doing it just for kicks).

PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING, THIS TECHNIQUE’S GOT A LOT TO SAY:

Hanging onto the ‘original’ form of an object, rather than binning it (suck it, consumerism, and hats off to Greta Thunberg)

Coming to terms with the wear and tear life has thrown at something (mushin)

Highlighting the cracks that have spiced up its look (wabi-sabi)

And, turning something busted into something even more banging, all thanks to its flaws which are now flaunting their stuff

KINTSUGI AND MENTAL HEALTH – WE ARE OUR SCARS

If we spin this craft into the mental health scene, it’s like saying all of us who’ve had our share of knocks (and by ‘knocks’ I’m talking about everything from wonky families to break-ups that tore us a new one) ought to go through four stages:

1. THE 'BREAK'

Stuff breaks. Accidents, wear, time, or just bad luck. It happens to ALL OF US: heartbreaks, people ghosting you, jobs that suck, projects bombing, the odd fender bender... You hit rock bottom and shatter. But that’s not the end; it’s just the start of picking yourself back up.

2. PRE-ASSEMBLY

Then you’ve gotta pick up the pieces, give them a clean, and start fitting them back together. You take a good hard look at every bit of hurt and hang-up. It’s tempting to toss out the broken bits, hide them away... but every bit matters. You’ve gotta walk through that loss.

3. PATCHING UP AND PATIENCE

Next up, you piece it all back together, adding a bit of this and that. In Kintsugi, it’s all about that special resin; in life, it might be a mate, a family member, or a pro. This stuff takes ages to set, like weeks or even months. There’s no instant fix. We live in a world where every life hack and health guru on TikTok tells you they’ve got a magic bullet, but real talk? It’s a slow grind, and that’s what makes the end result so stunning.

4. SHOWING OFF THE NEW YOU

Everything that’s been banged up has a story worth telling. So instead of hiding your scars, you bling them up and show them off, making them a part of your new swagger. Those golden joins? They don’t just tell your tale; they make it richer. Our scars and stories are what we’re made of. They don’t define us... but they sure as heck mark us. And that’s what turns us from plain old pretty to profoundly unique.

CONCLUSION: BIG UP THOSE CRACKS

And yeah, sometimes we try to hide our flaws: the insecurities, the overthinking, the fears... but maybe, just maybe, when we start showing off our rough edges, our mishaps, our highs and lows... that’s when we hit peak beauty and full-on self-love. Maybe you (like me) were taught to cover up your ‘imperfections’. But Kintsugi teaches us not to settle for ‘just okay’ or think that striving for ‘perfection’ is off-limits. It’s just not realistic. Because failures, letdowns, and losses are gonna hit, and there’s immense value and beauty in that mess, perfectly managed. Your scars, all jazzed up and out there, have shaped who you are today, crafting your identity and your worth.

P.S.: This week’s blog is sponsored by our Wowyoung nighttime repair serum. Time might age you and morph you into someone new, but we’re not letting those fine lines get in your way. Wipe away those early signs of ageing with our serum packed with retinol and peptides.