“The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” - Hemingway

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, not to hide the cracks, but to honour them. A philosophy that sees damage not as something shameful, but beautiful.

The fracture is the story. The repair is the art.

I think there’s a lesson here for old houses, too.

In a culture obsessed with flawless surfaces and shiny newness, Kintsugi offers a rebellious thought: maybe the crack isn’t the problem. Maybe it’s the point.

Read the full reflection on Kintsugi, hormesis, and what old houses can teach us about resilience.

written by Helen M. Krauss