A few weeks ago I mentioned my new found discovery of wabi-sabi. Did you miss it?  Check out the post here.   Catherine Anderson was the first to introduce me to the term and meaning, subsequently telling me about Leonard Koren’s Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers. In a short, yet impactful read, the author guides us through wabi-sabi as it pertains to art, philosophy and life.

It’s certainly true that not everyone will find beauty in wabi-sabi, but for me personally, I can’t imagine it not being a part of my life. Koren’s chapter A Comparison with Modernism helps one understand what it is and what it isn’t. Both modernism and wabi-sabi apply to all man-made objects, spaces and designs. Both have readily identifiable surface characteristics. Modernism being described as seamless, polished and smooth while wabi-sabi is earthy, imperfect and variegated. One difference listed is modernism romanticizes technology while wabi-sabi romanticizes nature. I had to chuckle as I’ve totally given up on electronic calendars and am very happy with my number 2 pencil and paper calendar. (So tired of sync-up issues and now if there are issues…I can only blame myself!)

Anyway, there isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t find myself enamored with wabi-sabi. I can meander in vintage stores, flea markets, consignment shops, historic neighborhoods for hours lost in the beauty of wabi-sabi. To me the beauty is in the cracks, the weathered spots, the rust, the imperfect lines.

So today is the start of wabi-sabi Saturday postings to share with you the best wabi-sabi find of the week. We’ll start with the door of an old truck, found on a late afternoon walk with my dad. Rusted, bruised and weathered…but simply stunning…in my opinion.