Wabi Sabi - Japanese Wisdom For A Perfectly Imperfect Life.

As I have explained in my previous post, More, of less - Introducing SBTRCT, the genesis of SBTRCT was not only the collision of a number of trends, but also a realisation that what was now important to me in my life, had changed.

Talking this through with a former boss back in 2019, he likened my approach and the way I viewed my new life ambitions to something called Wabi Sabi. I hadn’t heard of Wabi Sabi before but he explained it was a philosophy that helps guide the way many Japanese people live their lives. He went on to recommend a book on the subject by Beth Kempton - Wabi Sabi - Japanese Wisdom For A Perfectly Imperfect Life.

 

Credit: Holly Bobbins Photography

Still crystallising my thoughts on SBTRCT, this book couldn’t have come into my life at a better time. I’m not normally a big reader but I read this book in what felt like one inhalation. Every sentence perfectly captured how I’d been feeling about my life and why I was creating SBTRCT.

In the book, Beth says: “For some time now, I have been hearing the growing rumblings of a slow revolution, a yearning for a simpler, more meaningful life. A life infused with beauty, connected to nature, thrumming with the energy of everyday well-being, and built around what really matters.”

I really couldn’t put it better myself. I felt this yearning stronger than ever and I knew I wanted to apply it to my expertise and experience in skincare.

In creating SBTRCT, everything from the brand name to our formulation principles has flowed out of our Less is More ethos. So imagine when I turned the page to reveal the following…

Less stuff, more soul. Less hustle, more ease. Less chaos, more calm.
Less mass consumption, more unique creation.
Less complexity, more clarity. Less judgement, more forgiveness.
Less bravado, more truth.
Less resistance, more resilience. Less control, more surrender.
Less head, more heart.

I almost fell off my chair. Such a perfect synopsis of everything I wanted to say.

I hadn’t really thought about approaching Beth to talk about this text until someone challenged me to make my packaging more engaging and meaningful. Thank goodness they did. I am delighted to say that every time you open a box of SBTRCT you will be reminded of our Less is More ethos through Beth’s perfectly crafted words.


To Beth, arigatō for supporting SBTRCT and for working with us.

To those reading this post, you need to read this book!

I highly recommend the forest bathing or “shinrin-yoku”, detailed on pages 73-79.



Ben Grace - Founder.