Why Kintsugi Is a Lesson in Repairing Things for a Happier Life

Recently my reading glasses broke, in the past either I throw them away, or fix it until I buy a new one.

The ones I buy are relatively cheap, but suddenly I don't want to get myself a new one. I can fix this one.

I don't know when to find the time to go back to the eye clinic where I got my reading glasses.

And this is what Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing things, comes to mind.

What is Kintsugi?

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing things to make them more beautiful, but it may have a secondary benefit too. A recent study has shown that the Japanese process of improving broken ceramic, now widely known as kintsugi, may also help clear our minds from feelings of regret and negativity.

Kintsugi (金継ぎ, “golden joinery”), also known as kintsukuroi (金繕い, “golden repair”),[1] is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum; the method is similar to the maki-e technique.[2][3][4] As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise

In six experiments, participants were asked to perform a task designed to elicit a feeling of regret, such as writing a letter of apology for something they had done wrong. While writing the letter, they were asked to handle objects in a room either in disarray or in order, clean or dirty, aromatic or not. The participants then wrote about how it felt to complete the task and were asked to report their feelings once again.

Results showed that the group who handled objects in an orderly room reported less regret than those who handled things in a messy one.

For centuries, broken ceramics have been restored by dousing them in lacquer mixed with gold powder, giving the piece the appearance of being whole again.

Find out how this traditional art can bring more joy into your life or change your perspective on disasters happening around you.

Why is it important to repair things?

The work of repairing and repurposing items is important for many reasons. First, it can help save money by recycling material that would otherwise go to waste. Second, it can also be empowering, as it can give you a sense of control over your life and your home.

Repairing things is essential because it can save money, reuse material, and empower people.

But not only things need to be repaired, but also yourself and your relationships.

So nowhere in time, when we can say we are all collectively broken after everything has been said about the pandemic, the countless deaths that we need to grieve, we are broken. So we have to accept that, not to move on but to move forward or to move to the next chapter of humanity or human life.

Can the Japanese art of Kintsugi help you deal with stressful situations?

The truth is we are all scarred by the last two years. But, we can't pretend that this time didn't happen. In my life, I will never be the same as during this period I lost my Mom.

And while I still consider her death to be a beautiful death, as she didn't die from the virus that has killed millions around the world, she will never be here again when everything goes back to normal.

I feel stressed, lost and my anxiety levels are still way up. So even when I write my thoughts and share my stories, life isn't the same, or I am not the same.

Kintsugi, or gold splicing, is a physical manifestation of resilience. Instead of discarding marred vessels, practitioners of the art repair broken items with a golden adhesive that enhances the break lines, making the piece unique. They call attention to the lines made by time and rough use; these aren’t a source of shame. This practice — also known as kintsukuroi (金繕い ), which literally means gold mending — emphasizes the beauty and utility of breaks and imperfections. It turns a problem into a plus.

What I learn from my broken eyeglasses is to remain grateful. Perhaps the most important concept in Kintsugi wellness is kansha, which expresses gratitude for the good and the bad.

I can never be the same person, and neither can anyone be. We always become the person we are meant to be, but for that to happen, we need to put our broken pieces together, not to disguise our past or fix what we believe is our imperfections, our defeats, and our misery.

We need to put our broken pieces together, glue them together to make ourselves stronger, so we can stand up again, as life isn't and will not always turn the way we would want it to be, life is meant for us to learn, and to remain grateful, because our pain, makes us stronger, or it makes us weak enough to ask for help. When that happens, other people come to our rescue and help us glue ourselves together.

Kintsugi is a form of Japanese art that deals with repairing broken pottery. For example, when a piece of porcelain is broken, the break will be repaired by adding more gold and lacquer to the object, creating a work of art. When are you feeling the most stressed out? Your home, your work, or maybe even when you're just sitting in your bedroom? If that's the case, then it's time to bring in some Kintsugi to try and fix some of your problems.

Let us help one another by becoming the golden glue that will fix someone close to us, especially ourselves. That is the lesson of kintsugi.