Local Asquith resident Ian Westmoreland is using story-telling to provide hope, inspiration and healing to people who are experiencing life challenges.
The program is called Kintsugi Heroes and involves having recorded conversations with people (heroes) who have experienced and overcome significant adversity. The conversations are then made available in podcast and book format.
About Kintsugi
The philosophy of Kintsugi honours life experiences both good and difficult. By highlighting the repair of cracks or breaks in a ceramic piece, the events of the past become part of its beauty. There is no attempt to conceal the damage.
“As humans, we accumulate scars throughout our lives; the breaks, knocks, and wrinkles are a part of who we are. These experiences should be emphasised, not buried, since they are part of our story, which makes us a more beautiful and important whole,” Westmoreland remarked.
Kintsugi
Heroes globally launched on 14 December with four conversations published covering grief, addiction, suicide ideation, health, abuse and more. At least one new hero conversation will be published each week.
“There has already been great feedback from people who have watched or listened to a podcast saying it had touched them or helped them. The stories also help the broader community support someone who is going through a life challenge,” Westmoreland said.
“We intend to cover a wide range of experiences, including addiction, abuse, and mental health difficulties, as well as the experiences of indigenous peoples, migrants, and refugees.
“We have also partnered with a support organisation in Victoria’s Alpine region to document the tales of those affected by the Black Summer bushfires.”
Kintsugi Heroes is being funded by donations and a crowd funding campaign will commence shortly.
If you have a story of adversity that you would like to share or if you would like to find out more information, please contact Ian Westmoreland via ian@kintsugiheroes.com.au.
The hero podcasts are available on all the main hosting platforms and can also be accessed from the website https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/