Living in a society where perfection is not only the norm but encouraged can be disheartening, to say the least. How many times have you taken a blurry photo and overlooked what you think are flaws in it because it defies common sense (note the pun)? Historically, we have tended to prefer what is shiny and new over what is old and worn, but that is changing as more and more people value authenticity over accuracy. True beauty lies in cracks, rough edges, imperfect sheen, and even intentional imperfections.
That is why the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi captures our imaginations and our hearts, and is the very antidote to perfectionism. Photographer, creative director, writer, Julie Pointer Adams She was so fascinated by the wabi way of life that she wrote a book on the subject. Welcome to Wabi-Sabi: Learning to embrace imperfection and enjoy it with compassion and easeAs Adams explains, wabi-sabi means “a way of living that pays attention to and appreciates the beauty in the mundane, little things of everyday life – things that often go unseen, unnoticed or unappreciated.”
Why Wabi-Sabi Will Change How You See the World
She added: “For me, living with that kind of mindful awareness is a way of life I have always striven to live, and have been doing so since before I was even aware of the concept. In writing my book, I wanted to make this concept understandable and realizable by a wide variety of people in a wide variety of situations. I wanted to show that this philosophy can be incorporated into anyone’s life experience through simple rituals and habits of everyday life.”
When it comes to shifting her entire mindset to embrace wabi-sabi in her daily life and work, let’s just say it’s an ongoing, everyday learning process. “I joke that I shouldn’t have written a book on wabi-sabi until I had a toddler at home!” she laughs. “It’s funny but true that since having kids, I’ve come to understand in a whole new way what it means to embrace perfect imperfection and try to be fully present in every moment, even when things don’t go as expected or planned.”
“Seeing it manifest in my own life is about trying to embrace the fact that all things are fleeting, imperfect, and imperfect (for everyone, no matter how much social media might make us think that) and that even in the midst of a difficult moment or a work experience that feels like a failure, every moment, every experience, every day is a perfect gift. It’s about living every fleeting moment fully, while at the same time being aware of the holistic flow of time, in which nothing changes forever.”
We couldn’t agree more. Read on to find out more about what wabi-sabi is, the meaning behind the movement, and how you can incorporate this philosophy into your home, life, and work.
But first, what is wabi-sabi?
Wabi-sabi is a multi-layered concept and difficult to define in one word. Simply put, it is a perspective (created by the Japanese) that gives us the freedom to find beauty in things that are impermanent, imperfect, and incomplete.
Wabi refers to living simply and in harmony with nature, stripping down to the bare essentials in order to appreciate each moment and thing in all its fullness, while Sabi refers to transience and the passage of time.
These two words describe a certain beauty, a way of life that embraces imperfection and simplicity, and focuses on the humble, the mystical and the understated. To me, it’s a way of life that fully appreciates perfect imperfection, something we can strive for every day in our homes, our lives and the natural world around us. I believe wabi-sabi can open our eyes and our minds, teaching us how to live in a larger, more accepting and more joyful world.
Can you briefly explain the Wabi-Sabi philosophy and why it resonates so much with you?
The philosophy of wabi-sabi was born around the 14th century.Number In the 19th century, various artistic and Buddhist principles adopted from Chinese traditions came to form a uniquely Japanese concept. At the time, this concept was very much linked to the tea ceremony, and is still deeply rooted in a time-honored tradition that holds simplicity, humility, and rustic elegance as its fundamental ideals. Today, it has come to embody a specific Japanese aesthetic that celebrates a certain flawed beauty, and is understood to be “wisdom in natural simplicity.” For many Japanese people, this concept may be difficult to explain or translate, but everyone essentially understands it as an elusive aesthetic and a unique way of being in the world.
This philosophy is a radical departure from the deeply rooted Western ideals of the new, shiny, flashy, expensive, modern and showy, and instead advocates for the old, patinated, humble, modest, transitory and non-status-obsessed, encouraging us to rethink for ourselves what is valuable in our own lives apart from what contemporary and popular culture tells us.
Why do you think the Wabi-Sabi style has resonated so well in the West and become so popular?
It’s ironic that wabi-sabi has become a bit of a catchphrase these days, because by its very nature it defies fads and trends, but I think people are drawn to the idea of wabi-sabi because it subverts the convenient, hyper-consumerist mentality that many of us grew up with, encouraging a more thoughtful approach to the things that fill our lives and that we value.
In the midst of an age of perfectionism, especially fueled by the rise of social media, many people are desperately searching for a way of seeing, being and thinking that is free from these perfectionistic ideals.
What is a Wabi-Sabi house?
Wabi-sabi can be applied to interior design just as it can to any part of life: bringing a simple, unadorned elegance to your surroundings inspired by nature, natural materials, and the beauty of imperfection. Wabi-sabi achieves this by creating a calm, warm, Zen-like environment designed for intimacy, not to impress others. Wabi-sabi items and spaces are filled with inviting, earthy materials and tones (like wood, clay, stone) with quiet, muted textures that celebrate nature as it is: perfectly imperfect. Wabi-sabi spaces may be sparsely decorated or have rough textures (like whitewashed walls, raw wood, rough stone, and rough wool), yet full of life and warmth instead of the starkness of a perfect showroom.
How can we bring wabi-sabi into our homes?
I think the first step in bringing wabi-sabi into your home is to sort through what you own and identify what you no longer need. Maybe you have too much stuff in your home that keeps you from feeling truly calm, peaceful and alive.
Achieving a sense of wabi-sabi isn’t about going out and buying a bunch of new things, but rather about simplifying, reevaluating, and thinking carefully with each new purchase.
If you must buy something new, or something new to you, as often as possible, choose timeless items that are made from natural materials and fibers, will last (rather than cheap or trendy), and can be repaired or reused for years to come.
Kintsugi, the beautiful art of restoration, is now popular in the U.S. due to the rise of the Wabi-Sabi movement. Can you tell us more about this concept?
Kintsugi is the Japanese technique of repairing ceramics with a gold-infused glue. Rather than hiding the cracks, the gold highlights the seams after the repair, adding a new layer of beauty and grace to the piece. I think this technique works beautifully as a metaphor for how, rather than hiding, ignoring, or glossing over the broken parts of our lives, by working steadily to repair them, they can actually become part of a beautiful, visible strength. It’s another perfect example of how, as wabi-sabi leads us, we can find beauty in imperfection if we have the eyes to see.
5 practical ways to incorporate wabi-sabi into your home:
1. Make do with what you have
Embracing wabi-sabi means recognizing the beauty in simple and imperfect things, instead of always needing or wanting more. The moment you think your space or things are “not enough,” is the moment you lose sight of the wabi-sabi mindset. Embrace wabi-sabi in the simplest ways, like cutting a few branches from your backyard and putting them in a vase to freshen up your space with a bit of nature.
2. Collect emotions about things
Learn to collect special things that have meaning and importance, and make sure to curate your space so that simplicity and comfort take precedence above all else.
3. Practicality is also beautiful
Introduce beauty into your home through practical means, like nice tableware, storage, and even household items (like a nice wooden brush or glass dispenser for the sink). Only keep what you need, but also keep some beautiful things for beauty’s sake. Not everything has to be practical.
4. Make it personal
Personalize your home with items that are perhaps only valuable to you, like special family photos, mementos from your travels, or art made by your children.
5. Embrace Mother Nature
Bring the outdoors and earthy vibes indoors through a nature-inspired color palette, wildflowers picked from the roadside, a collection of potted plants, or even pebbles from your favorite beach walk.
Source: Camille Styles – camillestyles.com
