I had the privilege of attending a TEDx conference in Melbourne last week. If you’re unfamiliar, TEDx is a series of live presentations covering topics from science and tech to business and creativity.

The theme was *Kintsugi*, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with powdered gold—turning something broken into something uniquely beautiful.

It’s a fitting metaphor for the human condition. Our scars, vulnerabilities, and ability to rebuild make us unique. The cracks filled with gold tell the story of who we are and where we’ve been.

The event opened with a phenomenal Japanese drumming ceremony. Sitting front row, the drumbeats pounded through my chest—visceral, energising, and connecting the audience.

One speaker, Melbourne artist Rone, began with passion and clarity. Midway, nerves struck—he stumbled, forgot his words, lost his train of thought. Few things are harder than publicly losing your way at a live, recorded event.

Then something remarkable happened: the audience rallied. They cheered him on, metaphorically piecing him back together Kintsugi-style with applause and encouragement. Rone smiled, laughed, and finished—earning the biggest applause of the day.

It was a reminder: to do anything meaningful is to risk falling. And when we do, our shared fragility is what connects us most deeply.