“Kintsugi  
has transcended  
mere repair  
to touch upon  
values  
and ways of  
holding your heart.” 
Sho Takeshita

The Japanese art of kintsugi, sometimes called kintsukuroi, is the practice of repairing broken pottery with lacquer mixed with gold. As is illustrated in the photo above, kintsugi can turn a broken object into a masterpiece of art. The practice dates back to the 15th century, when a shogun broke a cherished bowl. He challenged Japanese craftsmen to find an aesthetically pleasing way to repair it. This challenge led to the creation of kintsugi.

Penny Reid, an American bestselling author, is credited with writing one of the most famous modern quotes about this centuries-old Japanese art form. She wrote, “A break is something to remember, something of value, a way to make the piece more beautiful, rather than something to disguise. They used gold, not invisible superglue, because mistakes shouldn’t be considered ugly.”

Kintsugi is not just a method for repairing pottery. It is also a philosophy based on the belief that damage, cracks, and repairs should not be hidden. Rather, they can become treasured and honored parts of an object’s history. By repairing the broken object in this way, the piece becomes more beautiful for having been broken.

Kintsugi has a lesson for all of us. It teaches us how to live happily and gratefully after being broken. Life is not about erasing or hiding the scars we incur, but how we can become more beautiful by embracing those scars. The brokenness and repair are part of who we are, not something to be ashamed of or hidden from others.

No one escapes the experience of brokenness, yet society often encourages us to hide our scars. Genuine healing from illness, disappointment, failure, broken relationships, or regret comes when we acknowledge our wounds and embrace them, instead of pretending they don’t exist. The painful experiences which once defined us can become valuable sources of wisdom, humility, empathy, and resilience. 

The “gold” with which we, in our brokenness, are repaired can come in many forms: love and support from family and friends; faith and spirituality; forgiveness; counseling or therapy; recovery and healing communities, or a focus on gratitude. While none of these things can erase the cracks, they all have the ability to transform them into opportunities for growth.

We are not beautiful despite our brokenness. Like a kintsugi masterpiece, we can become more beautiful because our healing has transformed the brokenness of our lives into stories of hope and resilience we can share with others.

All of this invites us to ask ourselves: What cracks in our own lives have become places where compassion, wisdom, or gratitude now shine like gold?