About vulnerability, resilience, adaptability and imperfection.
When, at the end of the summer, I packed up everything to move from the quiet Kempen region to the coast, I was, like everyone else in such a situation, faced with some crucial questions.
What is important enough to take with me?
What has real value in my life?
What do I take with me and what do I let go of?
One by one, our belongings were taken away and many things were quickly given a different destination. But to my great surprise, or not, my creative works were top priority to be moved and to be packed with great care. That in itself was a special awakening and made me realise how important my creativity is to having a balanced life. My time in my studio or in the academy is a time of standing still, of feeling and listening, of being a beginner again, of enjoying a warm nest. The resulting works, however simple and unimportant, have a great personal value for me.
When we carried these boxes to the car, the bottom went out from under one box and all those works fell in shards on the driveway. After a single moment of shock, I immediately decided to see the relative importance of the situation and picked up all the shards, down to the smallest detail. Not a hair on my head doubted that I would do something with this, but I had no idea what it would be.
On unpacking, the right book appeared at the right moment. "The Japanese Way" by Erin Niimi Longhurst explains many wonderful themes such as ikigai, wabi sabi, shinrin yoku but also Kintsugi. Kintsugi (literally: golden connection) teaches us to find beauty in imperfection. In ancient Japan, broken objects were not immediately thrown away but repaired with gold resin and great care. So rather than an object being discarded or regretted for its imperfections, it is restored and thus becomes more valuable than ever. This encourages us to consume more respectfully and to own more consciously, but of course the concept of Kintsugi is not only applicable to things. A Japanese proverb summarises this very well: Chousho wa tansho:
Our strengths are our weaknesses.
We often hide and create a perfect armor that suits our image. But especially the adversity in our lives makes us who we really are. Just as we need the bitter to taste the sweet, the difficult circumstances, the scars we incur, are an essential part of ourselves and should be embraced. Scars are allowed to be there and should not be hidden.
Once settled, the box with the shards was still there. In my new place, with a perfect view, I took all the pieces and put them back together with care. The time I spent on this was very meaningful and meditative. I was completely drawn into the here and now and enjoyed every piece that found its neighbor again. I was in my new place, with my strengths and my weaknesses and it was OK.
Nothing is ever really broken.
Rudi Francken, 18 November 2021