PROMPT'S FOR THE PROMPTLESS: A VISUAL JOHARI WINDOW

The Johari Window is a method of representing information (regarding feelings, experiences, motivations, intentions, attitudes, and so on) – from 4 specific perspectives. It is a technique to help you understand how you are perceived by others, and how you see yourself. The perspectives include:

• Open area: The things you know about yourself, that others also know about you. This is the area into which anyone of good will is welcome. Yes, even you over there in the corner.
• Blind area: The things you don’t know about yourself, but others know. Around here, we call it denial. Everyone can see it but you. It is powerful. If I wanted to see those elephants, I could. I choose not to and strongly recommend you avoid even mentioning those pachyderms lumbering about, knocking over the tea trays.
• Hidden area: The things you know about yourself that others do not know. I keep my secrets. If you entrust me with a secret, it is a secret forever, even after you die. If I choose to not reveal my own secrets, woe be he or she who tries to breach that locked door.
• Unknown self: The things no one knows about you. If I don't know and you don't know, isn't it obvious I can't tell you? Sheesh.

This is a very tall order. With a Scorpio moon warning me to keep my secrets, let no one into those dark corners ... and my Pisces sun saying "Does it matter? Just go with the flow!" while my Leo Ascendant itches for the attention, the winner -- as usual -- is Saturn sitting conjunct my ascendant.

"Caution, caution," he warns. He weighs heavily on the cusp of that first house, nailing everything into place. He always has the last, cold, rigid, judgmental word.

Thus of the four areas in that big box, the only one I can really share is "Open" or "Known to Self." I can show and tell myself. Show, mostly.  So, what's  to see in MY Johari boxes? I sound like an ad for a credit card "What's in your wallet?" What does my map look like? It's a photographer's Johari box! of course ... the lay of my land, so to speak.

Visit The Queen Creative, home of Prompts for the Promptless and a great deal more.

KINTSUKUROI - RESTORED TO A STATE OF GRACE

Kintsukuroi is a Japanese noun meaning “to repair with gold”; the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken.

These Sui Dynasty musicians are very old. They were originally made sometime during 581 to 617 -- one of China's briefest Dynasties and was immediately followed by the Tang Dynasty, one of China's greatest periods for art, but especially pottery which reached extraordinary heights during that reign.

Porcelain pieces, especially people, made during the Sui period are elegant, but lack the sophisticated details developed during the Tang years. If you look, you can see how simplified the hands of the musicians are. 

All these Sui musicians have been reconstructed ... restored. If they had not been restored, they would be missing heads, hands, pieces of their instrument. They would no doubt have been tossed out as rubble. I'm very strongly in favor of preserving these ancient pieces. Nor does restoring them ruin their authenticity, not when you buy them knowing they have been extensively restored.

If you don't know what to look for, you'll never see the restoration, but taking a spray bottle of water and lightly spraying the pieces -- not drenching them -- willl expose where the clay is not original. 

The restoration is old too, hundreds of years -- maybe as much as a thousand. Their culture is old and reveres art. Most of my ancient Chinese porcelain pieces are original but these beautiful musicians are a piece of the past who were saved from destruction. They bring me joy every day I see them gracing my mantle. Are they better for having been broken? I don't know about better ... but they live and surely such treasures are better for being part of our world than being lost forever.