I have long been drawn to the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi and its exquisite embrace of imperfection. An outgrowth of the Buddhist teaching of the three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, wabi-sabi finds beauty in the flawed, worn, and broken. What an inclusive and hopeful concept! That’s why I chose a wabi-sabi inspired aesthetic as my design template for Musings.
Musings embraces the new and the worn, the young and the old; it provides a virtual community that relishes the magnificence of age and encourages continued use of objects rather than constant consumption. Nature is our guide! Over time, winds, water, and sunshine, forge warmth and elegance across rocks and forest beds and vast plains. They carve character and charm into our buildings and gardens.
We need to honor this transient grace and accept that change is an inherent part of our life; that along with the material world, our bodies shall one day also return to the earth. Until then, can we tend to ourselves, one another, and the earth with gentle but fierce appreciation? Can we take the long view in caring for our things and relationships over the designed obsolescence and shiny glitz of consumerism, the virtual friendships of the internet?
The wabi-sabi philosophy reminds us to pause and to breathe. It allows me to notice that something feels different, perhaps more authentic. There’s an observational aspect to it that I enjoy. I notice the patina, the cracks, the rough edges. What stories they hold! Such wisdom accumulated in the history of use, of a life long lived!
Musings is about providing a community where people can find respite from the noise around them. It’s about discovering a different way to value life.It’s about celebrating imperfection and understanding that perfection is the enemy of the good. Impermanence is part of our life journey. Something worn has merit, has a story, holds incomparable beauty. It’s my deepest intention with this website to create an atmosphere of knowing, an innate sense of authenticity that resonates with your own pumping, worn, but wonderfully miraculous heartbeat — and that you simply know is right.
