I recently came across a short film by Candice Kumai on the Japanese art of Kintsugi — the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold.
In Japanese, Kintsugi means “golden joinery.” It’s not just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about highlighting the cracks, honoring the history, and saying: this happened — and I’m still here.
Why This Moved Me — and Why It Matters to Students of India
For a long time, we’ve been taught to hide our cracks.
Students are told:
- Don’t fail.
- Don’t fall behind.
- Don’t take too long to figure it out.
- Don’t change your mind.
- Don’t be unsure.
But what if those cracks — the breakdowns, the doubts, the career confusion, the burnout, the mental health struggles — aren’t signs of weakness? What if they’re part of a deeper transformation?
Kintsugi says: you are not ruined. You are remade. With care. With time. With gold.
That message hit me hard.
Because I’ve seen students break under the pressure to be perfect. I’ve spoken to young people who feel like they’ve failed just because they don’t have a clear answer to “What do you want to become?” Or because they didn’t meet someone else’s timeline. Or because they carry scars they were never allowed to show.
But real education should make room for that gold — for repair, for rebirth, for stories that include struggle.
What Kintsugi Can Teach Us
- Healing is not linear. It’s messy. It circles back. That’s okay.
- We’re allowed to be broken. That’s how light gets in.
- You don’t need to be unbreakable to be valuable.
- The scars don’t disqualify you — they define you.
- Resilience isn’t silent suffering — it’s choosing to return with softness.
In a world that rewards perfect answers and polished outcomes, Kintsugi reminds us that imperfection is the most honest story we can tell.
To every student who feels like they’re falling behind, not enough, or broken: you are not alone. You are not too late. And you are not the cracks — you are the gold that will fill them.
Let’s change how we define strength. Let’s stop pretending we have it all figured out. Let’s start celebrating the journey of being repaired, not perfect.
This is what the project, like Students of India, is about.
💛 If this piece made you pause, reflect, or feel a little less alone — you can support the project here:
Thank you for helping build a space where students feel seen — beyond marks, pressure, or the expectations of others.
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