I recently came across a video on YouTube that taught me about the ancient Japanese Philosophy known as Wabi Sabi. I had never heard of this before in my life, and had no idea what it was, but since watching that video, it has been very present in my mind. Almost every day now I think about it and I see it and realise more and more how much I appreciate it, so that is why I wanted to write a short blog post about it.
Wabi Sabi is the philosophy that there is true beauty in objects that are imperfect and that have been weathered by time. The society that we live in today places such high value and emphasis on structure and symmetry - this can be seen in so many forms For example in architecture - if you walk around a city you will probably see lots of buildings that all look the same, churches with matching arches and pillars, walls with perfect measurements, exactly symmetrical doors and windows. In fashion you might notice in one day several other people wearing the exact same thing as you! Or carrying the same bag, or wearing the same shoes. Even in people's own homes, furniture arranged at perfect angles, cushions correctly placed at a certain distance away from each other, a casual throw positioned very carefully on a sofa.
What wabi sabi promotes, is an idea that things can be made much more beautiful by their imperfections over time. For example, a beautiful Japanese tea cup that has a chip in it, a slightly rusty bracelet passed down through generations of a family, a piece of old furniture that's a bit wobbly and with some nicks in the wood.
Since discovering wabi sabi, I have begun to see it all over the place, and I really enjoy finding it!
I have a lot of love for my little wabi-sabi yellow lamp! It is full of little industrial marks and isn't as shiny as it might once have been, but it's beautiful.
I have started to love browsing through flea markets and antique stores - each object is unique and, although might not be in perfect condition or have some weathering on it, there is a beauty and story to each one. Lots of interesting people to see too!
Labels: Life, Thoughts
