Perfectionists will strive relentlessly for flawlessness in every detail. But is it possible to find even greater joy in things that are less than perfect – things which are, in fact, proudly imperfect?
The Japanese have a name for this: wabi-sabi. In its simplest terms, it refers to the singular beauty of objects with imperfections.
Throughout the ages, some of the most prized bowls used in Japanese tea ceremonies were bowls with character-defining flaws. As John Daido Loori observed, “They were accidental masterpieces of form and design – asymmetrical, cracked, occasionally wobbly ... ”
Imperfect, yet enhanced by these irregularities. One of my favorite Leonard Cohen songs has a chorus that was inspired by this notion of beautiful imperfection:
“Forget your perfect offering / There is a crack, a crack in everything / That's how the light gets in,” Cohen wrote.
To understand the essence of what Cohen was talking about, consider this true story of unconditional love. A friend of mine lost her adult son a few years ago. During the final months of his illness, he apologized to her for something he’d done and he admitted that he wasn’t perfect. She responded in the most heartfelt and compassionate way imaginable: She told her son that because he was imperfect, she loved him even more.
When we embrace imperfection, we see the cracks for what they truly are: not flaws that diminish, but noble qualities that add character, distinctiveness and beauty.
Photographer's Footnote: For this photo, I focused on a detail of a wooden vase that my wife made in her workshop. Bonnie particularly loves crafting things from wood marked with burls or other imperfections.