Living in a society where perfection is not only the norm but encouraged is frustrating, to say the least. How many times have you taken a blurry photo and ignored its flaws (note the pun) because it didn’t match the texture? It’s true that, historically, we’ve tended to favor the shiny new over the old and worn, but that trend is shifting as more and more of us embrace authenticity over accuracy. True beauty lies in cracks, rough edges, imperfect glazes, and even intentional imperfections.
This is why the Japanese philosophy “Wabi-sabi” captures our imaginations and hearts – it is truly the antidote to perfectionism. Photographer, creative director and author Julie Pointer Adams is so fascinated by the Waji way of life that she dedicated an entire book titled Welcome wabi-sabi: learn to embrace imperfection and entertain thoughtfully and effortlessly. As Adams explains, wabi-sabi means “living in a way that pays attention to and appreciates the beauty of the mundane, tiny details of everyday life—details that are often overlooked, unnoticed, or unappreciated.”
Why wabi-sabi can change the way you see the world
She added: “For me, living with this kind of mindful awareness is how I’ve always tried to live, and always have been, even before I was aware of the concept. By writing a book, I want to make this concept perceivable and realizable to many different people in many different contexts…I want to show how this philosophy can be integrated into anyone’s lived experience through simple rituals and routines in everyday life.
As for changing her entire mindset and embracing wabi-sabi in her daily life and work? Well, let’s just say it’s an ongoing, daily learning process. “I joke that I shouldn’t have written a book about wabi-sabi until I had a baby at home!” she laughs. “It’s funny, but it’s also true, since having kids I have a whole new understanding of what it means to embrace perfection and imperfection and try to give your best in every moment, even if things don’t go the way you hoped or that. develop.
“Seeing it play out in my own life is about trying to accept the fact that all things are impermanent, imperfect, and incomplete (for everyone, no matter how much social media may lead us to believe the opposite) ! It’s about living fully in each fleeting moment while also realizing that throughout the arc of time, nothing lasts forever.
We couldn’t agree more. Read on to learn more about what wabi-sabi is, the meaning behind the movement, and how to incorporate this philosophy into your home, life, and work.
But first, what is wabi-sabi?
Wabi-sabi is a multi-layered concept and therefore difficult to define in just a few sentences. At its simplest, it is a way of seeing (coined by the Japanese) that gives us the freedom to find beauty in the impermanent, imperfect, and incomplete.
Wabi-sabi refers to living simply, in harmony with nature, pared down to the essentials so that we can fully appreciate every moment and every object; Sabi refers to the transience and passage of time.
Together, these two words describe a beauty and a way of life that embraces imperfection and simplicity, insisting on humility, mystery and humility. To me, it’s a way of living that fully appreciates perfect imperfection – something we all strive for every day in each of our homes, in our lives, and in the natural world around us. I believe wabi-sabi can open our eyes and minds, allowing us to exist in the world in a broader, more accepting, and joyful way.
Can you give us an overview of wabi-sabi philosophy and why you are so closely connected to it?
Wabi-sabi philosophy emerged around the 14th centuryth In the 20th century, various arts and Buddhist principles from Chinese traditions gradually formed a uniquely Japanese concept. At the time, the idea was closely associated with the tea ceremony and remains deeply rooted in a time-honored tradition of simplicity, humility and rustic elegance as fundamental ideals. It now embodies a specifically Japanese aesthetic that celebrates a flawed beauty understood as “wisdom in natural simplicity.” While many Japanese may find the concept difficult to describe or translate, they all understand it essentially as an aesthetic that is hard to pin down and a unique way of being in the world.
This philosophy is at odds with our ingrained Western notions of the ideal of the new, the shiny, the exotic, the expensive, the modern and the flashy. Instead, it admires the ancient, the lustrous, the humble, the modest, the impermanent, and the non-obsessed with status. It invites us to redefine what is valuable in our own lives, beyond what modern or popular culture might say.
Why do you think the wabi-sabi style resonates and becomes so popular in the West?
Ironically, wabi-sabi has become a buzzword recently because it is inherently contrary to the very nature of fashion or fashion. However, I think people are attracted to the idea of wabi-sabi because it subverts the notion of convenient, big-box consumerism that many of us grew up with, and instead encourages people to take a more sophisticated approach to the things we fill them with. Thoughtful approach.
In an era of extreme perfectionism, especially driven by the rise of social media, many people are also desperate to find a way of seeing/being/thinking that liberates them from this perfectionist ideal.
What does a wabi-sabi house look like?
Wabi-sabi can be applied to interior design just as it can be applied to all other parts of life – by reducing your surroundings to a simple, unobtrusive elegance inspired by nature, natural materials and the beauty of imperfection . It can create calm, warm, Zen-like environments that are designed for intimacy rather than to impress others. Wabi-sabi objects and spaces are filled with inviting, earthy materials and tones (wood, clay, stone, etc.) that celebrate nature as it is—perfect imperfection—and have a quiet, soft quality. Even when wabi-sabi spaces are sparsely decorated or have rough textures (e.g. stucco walls, live-edge wood, raw stone, block wool), they are full of life and warmth rather than having a perfectly showroom-sterile feel.
How do we incorporate wabi-sabi into our homes?
I think the first way to think about incorporating wabi-sabi into your home is to take inventory of what you have and identify what you may no longer need. You probably have too much stuff in your home that prevents you from truly feeling calm, peaceful, and alive.
Achieving wabi-sabi rarely means going out and buying a bunch of new stuff, but rather simplifying, reevaluating, and thinking carefully about each new purchase.
When you do need to buy something new or new, choose as many timeless items as possible made from natural materials and fibers that will last a long time (as opposed to being cheap and/or trendy) and can be repaired or reused in the coming years.
Thanks to the rise of wabi-sabi, kintsugi—a beautiful restorative art—is now also popular in the United States. Can you tell us more about this concept?
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing pottery by injecting gold into the glue so that once the object is repaired, the gold does not hide the break lines but rather highlights the seams, adding a new dimension to the piece. Beauty and elegance. I think this approach is a great metaphor for how if we continually work to heal the broken parts of our lives, rather than hiding, ignoring, or sugarcoating them, they can actually become visible and lovable parts of our strength. This is another perfect example, as wabi-sabi leads us to see, as long as we have the eyes to see imperfection, we can find beauty in imperfection.
5 practical ways to incorporate wabi-sabi into your home:
1. Make do with what you have.
To embrace wabi-sabi is to recognize the beauty in the humble and imperfect, rather than always needing or craving more. The moment you find yourself thinking that your space or your belongings are “not enough” is the moment you lose the wabi-sabi mentality. Invite wabi-sabi in in the simplest of ways, like cutting some branches from your backyard and placing them in a vase to fill your space with nature.
2. Collect emotions about things
Learn to collect special items that hold meaning and importance, and then be willing to organize your space so simplicity and comfort reign.
3. Practical and beautiful
Bring beauty into your home in practical ways with cute dishes, storage cabinets, and even home cleaning supplies like cute wood brushes and glass dispensers for the sink. Keep only what you need, but make some things beautiful for beauty’s sake – not everything needs to be useful.
4. Personalization
Personalize your home by adding items that may be valuable only to you: special family photos, mementos collected from travels, art made by your children, and more.
5. Introduce nature
Whether it’s through a nature-inspired color palette, wildflowers plucked from the roadside, a collection of potted plants or your favorite beach walk pebbles, bring the outdoors and some earthiness indoors.
