Saturday, August 16, 2008

Mississippi Wabi Sabi

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept and term; it is, as this Mississippian sees it, the Japanese art of realising beauty in imperfection and profundity in Nature, in her cycles of birth, growth, decay and death.




photo, Debi McCain

Wabi-sabi is found in celebrating and enjoying authenticity above the mass manufactured, in looking to the Craftsman’s work with its uniqueness and slight imperfections rather than that of the stamped out mass marketed; wabi-sabi is to celebrate the cracks and scratches and marks of time passing and our memories. It is warmth and life in a mysterious world that can be cruel.

A way of looking at the world that acknowledges we are visitors here children. Embrace wabi-sabi… the grey hairs, the wrinkles, the weathering and frayed edges of life and things. See the beauty in your life, yes even the dent your son put in the back door moulding. It is the subtle waiting to be noticed, beauty waiting to be discovered in your everyday life and things.

When you reach your middle age you will be very happy or not, you will have realised the concept of Wabi-sabi or not. Wabi-sabi is life on this earth. It is going to the Farmer’s Market instead of Wal-Mart… do you see?

Barry R McCain © 2008