We began by looking at some images on the theme of brokenness which initiated a lot of discussion in terms of what is implied by being broken and that the concept of brokenness invokes a conditioned need either to repair or somehow to return to wholeness. We explored our responses to this and the discussion then brought up the concept of kintsugi (the Japanese practice of restoring broken crockery with gold so that the repaired fractures are clearly visible). We considered whether certain things, once broken, could be fully restored and whether this was even necessary.
The group then created the word cloud below where, interestingly, the word 'kintsugi' is mis-spelt, indicating that the word itself in this image is 'broken'.
We then looked at two poems on the theme which inspired writing and discussion including whether anything is ever always whole. All in all a rich and interesting session, promoting food for further reflection.
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Feedback
Narayani created a warm, welcoming, nurturing online space in which it felt easy for me to relax and feel able to explore, share, be curious and connect with the others in the group.
I felt that the group reading of the poetic prompts allowed me to start reflecting on some new ideas around “brokenness”. Then the opportunity to respond to the poem prompt with my own creative writing released another layer of emotion and allowed deeper exploration.
For me, the most important piece of the workshop happened when Narayani invited us back into the group space together and we shared our reflections with each other. Hearing others creative responses for me was the “aha!” moment...it felt like the collective wisdom of the group, gently guided by Narayani, led to some moments of beautiful and sometimes profound reflection and sharing. I felt a real sense of personal growth, evolution and growth by the end of the session...it felt like a real process of alchemy had occurred!
Other comments
This workshop was a powerful and profound experience for me. Through the use of creative prompts, our own creative expression and the wisdom found in group sharing, I felt like I made some real shifts in the way that I see the concept of “brokenness”. The way I have seen myself as either “broken” OR “whole” has been gently challenged— I feel like this workshop is the beginning of me stepping away from the binary of “being broken” vs “being fixed”
Sara
