Resilience and embracing the art of kintsugi - a project

CREATIVE SPARKS - Embracing the Art of Kintsugi

Echoes from the Mountain - Creative Sparks

Join Loraine from Gracious Mountain Therapies as she explores how hobbies and crafts can boost mental health.  She will talk to people from all walks of life about how they have found solace, inspiration and resilience through their own pursuits, hobbies or crafts.  Creative Sparks, is a podcast dedicated to harnessing the power within us to nurture mental health and wellbeing across all age groups.

Echoes from the Mountain is a podcast by Gracious Mountain Therapies

Echoes from the Mountain YouTube Channel can be found here 

Music by Chris Collins, Indie Music

Ready to climb your own personal mountain and looking for help? Loraine is an accredited BWRT practitioner, clinical Hypnotherapist and Advanced EFT practitioner.  Book an initial consultation at https://www.graciousmountain.co.uk/book-online

If you would like to support my podcast and YouTube channel I do have a buy me a coffee page https://www.buymeacoffee.com/echoesfromthemountain

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creative-sparks--6181083/support.

Episode Transcript

(00:12):
Welcome to Echoes from the Mountain CreativeSparks, the podcast where we explore the
incredible power of hobbies and crafts andthe natural world to nurture our mental health.
I'm your host, Lorraine from GraciousMountain Therapies, and I believe that
the passions we pursue outside of ourdaily routines can be our strongest allies in

(00:38):
finding joy, building resilience, andweathering life storms. Today we're diving into
the world of kinsugi, the beautifulJapanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold.
But kinsugi is more than just anart form. It's a filosophy that

(01:00):
holds a powerful message for our mentalhealth and well being. Imagine this.
You have a favorite mug, theone with the cute little animal on it,
But one day oops, it slipsfrom your hands and shatters into pieces.

(01:21):
Normally, you might think it's ruined, right, But in Japan they
see it differently. Instead of throwingthe broken mug away, they use a
special kind of glue mixed with gold, silver, or even platinum powder to
put the pieces back together. Thismakes the cracks stand out with beautiful shiny

(01:48):
lines. It is like the mughas a new story to tell a story
of being broken and then made evenmore beautiful. This art form is called
kintsugi, which means golden joinery orgolden repair. It's not just about fixing

(02:12):
something that's broken. It is aboutembracing those cracks and imperfections. It is
about seeing beauty in something that seemsflawed and even making it stronger because of
those flaws. Now, think abouthow this relates to our own lives.

(02:38):
We all have moments where we feelbroken, whether it's due to a difficult
experience, a mistake we made,or even just feeling down about ourselves.
But just like the broken mug,we can be put back together again.

(03:00):
Those experiences can become part of ourunique and beautiful story. Kinsugi teaches us
that our imperfections and challenges don't diminishour value. In fact, they can

(03:21):
make us even more resilient and strong. Just like the golden scenes on a
kinsugi piece of art, our scarscan become something to be proud of,
a symbol of our strength and thebattles that we have overcome. So today

(03:44):
we're going to do something a littledifferent. We are going to create our
own art inspired by the Kinsugi philosophyof embracing imperfections and finding beauty in the
unexpected. We will use simple materialsfound around the house to transform something broken

(04:09):
into something beautiful and new. Sogather your materials. Here is what you
will need. A broken object.This is the heart of our project.
Find a broken ceramic or glass objectaround the house. It could be a

(04:30):
plate, a mug, a vase, or even a broken toy. Just
make sure that it is safe tohandle and doesn't have too many sharp edges.
Glue Choose a strong adhesive that's suitablefor the material of your broken object.

(04:51):
Superglue, epoxy, or even ahot glue gun can work well.
Gold, silver, or bronze paint. Acrylic paints work best if you don't
have these colors. Get creative.Use any metallic or shiny paint that you

(05:12):
have on hand. Even nail polishcan work in a pinch. A paint
brush a small, fine tipped brushwill give you more control. Optional extras
glitter, metallic markers, beads,or other decorative elements can add a personal
touch to your creation. Okay,now that you have everything, let's get

(05:39):
started. The first step is toprepare your workspace find a well lit and
protected area where you can work withoutworrying about making a mess. Lay down
some newspaper or a plastic tablecloth toprotect your surface. Step two. Piece

(06:02):
it together. Carefully examine your brokenobject and see if you can fit the
pieces back together like a puzzle.Once you've figured out how it goes,
start applying your glue to the brokenedges. Don't worry if it's not perfect.

(06:23):
These imperfections are part of the charm. Step three, Let it dry.
Now, let the glue dry completely. This might take a few hours,
depending on the type of adhesive you'reusing. Be patient. Step four

(06:46):
add the golden touch. Once theglue is dry, it's time for the
magic. Dip your paint brush intothe gold, silver, or bronze paint
and carefully apply it to the cracksfilling them. You can even extend the

(07:08):
lines a bit beyond the cracks fora more artistic effect if you like.
Let your creativity flow. Now isthe time to personalize your masterpiece. Add
some glitter, draw patterns with metallicmarkers, or even glue on some beads

(07:30):
or other decorations. Let your imaginationrun wild. Step five. Admire your
creation. Once the paint and decorationsare dry, take a step back and
admire your creation. You have takensomething broken and turned it into a unique

(07:58):
and beautiful piece of art. Justlike Kinsugi, this project teaches us valuable
lessons. It reminds us that wedon't have to be perfect. Our flaws,
our mistakes, our brokenness are allpart of what makes us unique and

(08:24):
beautiful. It also reminds us thatwe are resilient. We can overcome challenges,
pick up the pieces, and emergeeven stronger than before. And just

(08:46):
like the golden Kinsugi, we canadd a touch of beauty and value to
our imperfections. That's all for today'screative sparks. I hope you have fun

(09:07):
creating your Kinsugi inspired art and exploringthe powerful message behind it. Remember,
just like Kinsugi, we can alltransform our brokenness into something even more beautiful.

(09:28):
If you have a hobby, apassion for the outdoors, or a
simple love for crafting that has helpedyou through a tough time, I really
would love to hear from you.Your experience could be the beacon of hope
someone else needs to hear. Youcan reach out to me via email at

(09:50):
Lorraine at Graciousmountain dot co dot UK, or find us on social media at
Echoes from the Mountain or Gracious MountainTherapies, or why not visit the website
on www Dot Graciousmountain dot co dotUK. Tomorrow is story time and I

(10:13):
am reading the fourth chapter from Heidiby Joanna Spirey. I hope you will
join me till then, Take careand remember, embrace your imperfections, celebrate
your unique story and keep shining bright.