The Beauty of Repair
Repair is one of the new 5-R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Rent & Share, Repair, and Recycle) that I am most excited about. Not only is the impact of keeping an item in use longer meaningful to the environment and your wallet, it begins to change your relationship dynamic with stuff.
We clearly live in a disposable world of infinite convenience. Online purchases arrive within hours without us ever getting off the couch. Meanwhile, the trash service will haul our old junk to a landfill out of sight and with no fuss. With this extreme convenience, it’s easy to lose appreciation for the value of the item; the engineering and design work, the skilled hands that created it, and the logistics that transported it to your doorstep. We can mindlessly replace a worn-out or broken item without a second’s thought or an ounce of effort.
I’ve very intentionally begun to attempt to repair nearly everything myself. Even when not economically or time efficient (much to my wife’s chagrin), I’ve enjoyed learning the skills necessary to make the fix. To literally have a hand in returning the item to working order, I’ve developed a much greater appreciation for the item and no longer take any aspect of it for granted.
The Japanese have long celebrated the value of repair in the technique of Kintsugi. Specifically, kintsugi is the art of repairing broken pottery with gold adhesive. Flaws are an inevitable part of life and perfection is an illusion, so kintsugi literally highlights and celebrates the flaws and imperfections. Just as every human is unique thanks to their idiosyncrasies, past trauma, and flaws, the pottery item becomes an even more remarkable and unique piece of art by highlighting its own recovery from trauma.
In a new book by sisters Nina and Sonya Montenegro titled Mending Life: A handbook for Repairing Clothing and Hearts, you find all the practical instructions on sewing, threading a needle, patching holes, pockets, and hems. But, as the designer duo also says, “Mending is a powerful act of restoration, both for our clothes and for our relationship to the world…There’s nothing broken that can’t be fixed. That old saying comes to mind again. What if we could really believe it and apply it to everything in our lives?”
I highly recommend attempting the next repair yourself. Not only will you develop new skills, but you will also form a special bond with the item, now made even more beautiful thanks to your imperfect stitching or discolored paint. - Dave Kiefner