Vulnerability is an Asset

In the twenty first century we engage in a complex dialogue with vulnerability and with the exposure of our less “perfect” parts, such as fear, pain, shame, and embarrassment.

We already know it’s not healthy to repress and hide, but we still maintain a culture where our expression constantly goes through internal policing and censorship. We will not break the rules. we will not be exposed as “idiots” or be considered the ones who ‘do not understand the game’.

My perception is that my vulnerable parts define me just like the pieces where I am confident in myself. Moreover, without bringing my vulnerable side to the table, my message is damaged and reduced.

Giving room for vulnerability, within the whole set of emotions feelings, impulses, and tendencies, eliminates silly hierarchies and separations we make within ourselves and the world.

When I allow myself to be exposed, and to let my guts meet the world, I live in authenticity. Like a tree we can look at, and the interaction with its vulnerability and power inspires a stunning sense of awe. Or, in the words of Brene Brown: “Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

This is why we kept the marks on the slabs of solid wood: the marks of the sawmill, the marks of the nails, and the holes reminiscent of what the wood experienced in its’ past.