Cracks, Courage, and the Light That Gets In

Episode Summary:

In this deeply honest episode of The Advancing Women Podcast, we explore what it means to stop hiding the cracks—and start honoring them. Inspired by Leonard Cohen’s iconic lyric, “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in” from his song Anthem (1992), we dig into the cultural and professional pressures that push us all, especially women , toward perfectionism as a form of self-protection.

Through the lens of the Japanese art of Kintsugi—the practice of repairing pottery with gold lacquer, which highlights rather than hides breakage—and the concept of “Prove-It-Again” bias coined by sociologist Joan Williams in her book What Works for Women at Work(2014), this episode invites listeners to see their so-called imperfections not as flaws, but as places of power, healing, and light.

Host Dr. Kimberly doesn’t just speak about vulnerability—she practices it, sharing her own season of struggle and the truth that letting the light in starts with acknowledging - maybe even honoring - the cracks.

In this episode, we unpack:

• The cultural myth of perfectionism—and who it really serves
• How gender bias reinforces the need to over-perform and under-rest
• What Kintsugi and Leonard Cohen’s Anthem can teach us about resilience
• Joan Williams’ research on the “Prove-It-Again” bias and how it impacts women at work

References

Williams, Joan C. and Rachel Dempsey. What Works for Women at Work: Four Patterns Working Women Need to Know. New York: New York University Press, 2014. (Chapter on “Prove-It-Again” bias)

Cohen, Leonard. “Anthem.” The Future [Album], Columbia Records, 1992. https://youtu.be/1jzl0NlTmzY?si=S1wUBVh_7sXq_Wj3

Kintsugi: The Japanese Art of Precious Scars. [For readers, a good primer is by Bonnie Kemske, Kintsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit (2020)]

Advancing Women Podcast (Spotify, iTunes) The Progress Principle https://open.spotify.com/episode/73WsiPl2cisLSd5XjZlco5?si=wfiNpNMPQpeWR9Cbl0tcAQ

The Therapeutic Art of Kintsugi: Applying Japanese Pottery Repair Techniques to Personal Healing. Posted in: Mind/Body Medicine, Self-actualization, Spirituality (Guest post by Prudence Sinclair.)

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