Wabi-sabi: Embrace it people
‘Wabi-sabi represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centred on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is ‘imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete’. Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity (roughness or irregularity), simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes’ – Wikipedia
This relates to everything.
To our imperfect bodies, with scars, fat, broken bits.
To our impermanent relationships, with scars, sorrows, broken bits.
To our incomplete lives that don’t have enough of whatever it is we’re yearning for.
We can continue on happily without these things. We can accept the messy, confusing paradox and flow with it.
With thanks to the beautiful Natalie Hayllar from Eat Read Love for the inspiration.
Great post, Em. I love wabi-sabi too. Found out about it when I lived in Japan; did you know ceramic artists sometimes put a deliberate “mistake” in their finished pots, in the name of wabi-sabi and as a humble offering to the gods (man is imperfect, gods aren’t, I think is the intended message)? Very cool, and a great antidote to our perfection-seeking society…