Kintsugi

A series of Monday discussion evenings through the Autumn months aimed at developing strategies for better mental wellbeing in ourselves and those around us. Finding treasure in life’s scars.

St Barnabas Centre, Church Lane, Thorley, CM23 4BE  |  What3Words – ///bumpy.elaborate.nails

Kintsugi is a Japanese art form where objects that have been cracked or broken are repaired using precious metals, particularly gold. Rather than hiding the damage done, the cracks are emphasised and celebrated for what they add to the uniqueness and character of the piece.

It represents a metaphor for ourselves. That the psychological scars we carry from guilt or loss, the damage done to us by others and by circumstance, the times when we feel inadequate or broken or unwanted, and yet we carry on! These are the things that make us unique and shape our character. And if we can build the courage to revisit them, and appreciate them for how they have made us who we are, then we make them of value, like the precious metals in a Kintsugi bowl.

We weren’t designed to be, or to stay, perfect. We were designed to carry life and reflect its trials and its joys. Each wound we carry makes us more valuable to those around us, not less. Our experiences enable us to empathise more deeply, to be vulnerable, to feel compassion – to be fully human in our relationships with others.

Taking a firm hold of this truth can help our mental wellbeing and enable us to better address the challenges that we will be facing as a society over the coming decade.

In order to facilitate this, we are setting up a series of evenings for a groups of people to work through this stuff together. A safe environment where we can share things we want to, and gain ideas on how to address those things we are not ready to share. These evenings will be based on the work of Kintsugi Hope – a charity that has made massive strides in helping people develop better mental resilience and strength.

Each session runs from 19.30 to 21.30, beginning on the 19th September, at the Barnabas Centre – the barn by St James Thorley Church. If you want to understand more, please call Mike Clargo on 01279 731318 for a chat. To book your place, contact us via info@stjamesthorley.com, marking your email for the attention of the Kintsugi team. Or if you would like some idea of what I got out of it – please follow this link: https://clargo.com/discovering-new-hope-within-the-brokenness-in-my-life/