Kintsugi

I’m a big fan of setting recurring to-do list reminders for myself. Daily tasks involve things like doing my morning pages, meditation, setting the robot vacuum. My weekly ones ensure that my plants are properly watered and misted, my calendar updated, but a lot of the reminders are simple and untaxing. They help me make sure I’m taking care of myself, and the things I’m responsible for.

There are other, more infrequent tasks I tend to set for three or six month intervals. Clearing out my wardrobe is one of them, and another is inspired by my time doing the Artist’s Way: ‘mend any mending’.

During the time before COVID this often involved dropping items of clothing off at the dry cleaner’s, or getting shoes re-heeled. Becoming somewhat of a homebody this past year, those needs haven’t been as pressing. Their usual wear-and-tear seems to have been channeled into my cooking, and so I turned my attention to the chips and cracks that have appeared in my glassware and crockery.

Kintsugi is the art of repairing with gold, highlighting an object’s flaws and cracks by transforming them into something exquisitely beautiful and unique. Rather than seeing the chips in the ceramic as a blemish, it becomes part of its history - something interesting. After all, the difference between a mole and a beauty spot is only your perspective, after all.

I recently bought the Humade Kintsugi Repair Kit, and repaired two ceramic pieces my grandmother made me. Thankfully they weren’t too damaged, but in the move back from America a couple of dents needed some careful attention.

I’m really happy with the result - lightly gilded, and if anything, it’s given them more character. I also like to think that it’s my contribution to my grandmother’s artwork, evolving to become a collaboration.

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