There can be Beauty in Brokenness!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/892600_6939eb1c54e74e8fa9871c5a93a407e1/480p/mp4/file.mp4

I created a video to help me accept and embrace the beauty of my failings and faults. Although I’ve always strived for perfection, I’ve come to realise that true beauty and hope can often emerge from acknowledging our imperfections, our cracks, and our wounds. 

This idea is beautifully captured in Leonard Cohen’s song Anthem, where his words remind us that our imperfections need not be flaws to hide but openings through which the light of understanding, hope, and healing can enter. The light shines through the cracks, illuminating our vulnerabilities and guiding us toward growth. 

This concept is also reflected in the art of Kintsugi—the Japanese practice of repairing broken pottery by filling the cracks with gold. Instead of hiding the damage, the cracks are celebrated, transforming the pottery into something more beautiful and unique. The scars and flaws of brokenness, once repaired, become symbols of resilience, strength, and beauty, making the pottery even more unique and precious. 

To illustrate this allegory, I purchased a vase and aimed to create ‘a perfect Kintsugi repair’. However, in my attempt to make only a few small cracks, I overdid it. Instead of a gentle tap, I dropped the vase on my flagstone path, smashing it into pieces! Yet, even glued back together, the cracks still let the light shine through, illuminating understanding and bringing hope and healing.

I filled the gaps, smoothed over the raised and uneven parts, then covered the gaps and cracks with gold leaf. It became an imperfect but beautiful offering. Like Kintsugi, it shows that there is beauty in imperfection. The shattered pieces, once broken, are now joined and adorned with gold leaf, and the wounds and scars have turned into symbols of strength, resilience, and unique beauty

This experience reflects my belief that our brokenness, our wounds, our flaws, and our failures are not things to be hidden or ashamed of. Instead, through the light of understanding and learning, they become essential parts of our story—things to be celebrated and transformed into something even more unique and beautiful.