We Are All Perfectly Imperfect

Show Notes

The imperfections in our lives can actually give us great beauty and joy!

Join Emily Brunner as she talks about wabi sabi and shares how appreciating the imperfections in life can bring us happiness.

Music: "On Brevity" by Josh Woodward

Transcript

Emily:
Hey everyone, welcome to Philly Dances where we find inspiration throughout Philadelphia's amazing dance community. I'm Emily and I'm so happy you're joining me today because I want to talk about Wabi Sabi. Wabi what? Wabi Sabi. Have you heard those words before? They're Japanese and I only recently learned about this when I was watching a YouTube video called when bad photos are better by Jamie Windsor. A friend and fellow photographer shared it in a Facebook group recently and it really, really resonated with me and inspired me to think about how so-called bad can actually be good. Wabi Sabi is a philosophy which leads us to see that because nothing is ever perfect or permanent or finished, because of those inherent truths, things are truly beautiful. It's both sad when you think about it, but also really inspiring. It seems to go against what we strive for while somehow also celebrating our individuality and all the things in our world that are perfectly imperfect. 

Emily:
A poeny growing in the garden in the spring. It's beautiful. It smells lovely and it has all those beautiful fluffy pedals that nature has somehow created on a plant growing out of the dirt. It's beautiful really only for a few days because pretty quickly those pedals start to fade. They kind of turn into a slimy brown substance and the plant wilts and the stems fall over under the weight of the giant flowers. A chocolate chip cookie, which is delicious coming out of the oven. Fresh baked cookies. Is there anything better than that? But that same cookie, two weeks later, is not going to be quite as tasty. A birthday party that we've planned and celebrated with our friends and family. It's a wonderful experience and one that hopefully everybody has fun at when they're there, but it comes to an end. It doesn't last forever. And to be honest, if you went to a birthday party that did last forever, it would not be that much fun. The peony, the chocolate chip cookie and the birthday party, they're all beautiful, wonderful things to experience and see and be a part of. But they don't last forever and they shouldn't. If they did last forever, they wouldn't be special. 

Emily:
We work really hard to achieve a level of standards in our art and in our work. We have something in mind. We have a goal, a place we want to be, a level that we want to get to. And that's what we pour all of our time and energy and efforts into. A dancer spends hours working towards a posture that allows her to project her spirit from her heart. And she spends day after day working to perfect her turnout and she spends weeks learning the choreography for her next performance so she can execute every combination perfectly. She spins years training among her friends so that she can do it all so she can achieve perfect technique and artistry. But we know that perfection will never be achieved because we always try again and we can always do it just a little bit better the next time. We know that no matter how long and hard we've worked over the years, that if we stop now, today, our strength, our technique, and our control, it'll get a little worse every single day that we don't keep working and moving forward. We know that even though we have a performance date set on the calendar, we have a rented theater and we have costumes hanging in the dressing room and tickets for sale in the lobby, we know that the show still isn't finished. We're still taking notes and adjusting our performances all the way to the very last curtain call and closing night. We know that if we had the chance, we'd try again. Striving for that elusive ultimate perfect performance. 

Emily:
I know that might seem depressing, might seem sad, defeating, unfulfilling, but you know, I really don't think so at all. There's so much beauty in the work that we do. I think you feel that too. Otherwise, why would you spend so much time learning and preparing and rehearsing just for a performance that that runs for a few nights? Would you rather see a company of technically perfect robots dancing in perfect unison, or would you rather watch your favorite real human dancers performing together? Each one bringing their own unique style that that when put together it creates a once in a lifetime moment. What would happen if you actually achieved perfection? If you got there, if it was done, you're perfect. Now, would you quit? Would you continue on knowing that you could never get any better because you are already perfect? 

Emily:
Life is beautiful because it's messy and temporary and continues on after us. Just the same way that it evolved before us because every moment is unique and special, never ever to happen again. Dance is beautiful because it's human because it's ethereal because you can't, you can't stop it or hold it because there's always more ahead. There's more to do, more to look forward to, more to celebrate. When you're working hard this year carefully and purposefully getting better and better and better, think about the beauty in Wabi Sabi. Think about the beauty and the fact that nothing is ever perfect or permanent or finished. Remember to show yourself some love, some love for your spirit that makes your dancing uniquely yours. Some love for the fact that your journey is never going to be done and some love for the once in your lifetime moments that you get to share with the people around you.