Yoko Ono’s MEND PIECE, American Federation of Arts.
Our culture rewards growth, accumulation, invention and newness.
We’re encouraged to push forward, break new ground and reach for higher stars. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning."
But what do we stand to gain by celebrating life at the opposite end of the spectrum?
What can maintenance, mending and repair teach us?
Can a deep wonder and appreciation for the subtle, everyday acts of maintenance counterbalance our culture’s obsession with newness and growth?
Here are some journaling prompts to explore the value and meaning of maintenance in your life.
Mind map
Set a timer for 10 minutes and create a mind map of the words, memories, feelings and ideas you associated with “maintenance”. There’s no right way to do this - a messy and chaotic page is great!
Done? Go back and highlight anything that stands out as particularly surprising or resonant. What do you notice?
Stream of consciousness writing
Write the first thing that comes to mind without stopping to edit, “stream of consciousness” style. If you get stuck, try writing with your non-dominant hand to loosen things up!
Recall a time when you repaired something (a jacket, your car, a relationship): What was the process like? What feelings came up along the way?
What areas of your life do you tend to associate with the words “mend”, "repair" and "maintenance"?
In our digital, physical and mental spaces, what benefit do we stand to gain by reducing, repairing and mending?
Do you have an object that could use a little repair? What's getting in the way of repairing this?
Read and respond
Pick a quote from the options below. What does this mean to you? What ideas, colours, memories come to mind as you read it? Write in whatever style suits you: Bullet points. Mind map. Stream of consciousness. Letter to the author. Drawing or doodle.
“Mend with wisdom, mend with love. It will mend the earth at the same time.” Yoko Ono, artist
“Nobody ever named a maintenance project, nobody ever got recognised for a maintenance project, nobody ever much got blamed for deferring maintenance.”
Larry Summers, economist
Yoko Ono’s MEND PIECE, American Federation of Arts.