We were lucky to catch up with Allison Jones recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Allison thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor and, subsequently, had brain surgery. During my recovery, I was reminded of the concept of kintsugi that I learned about during my first time in Japan. Kintsugi is a Japanese art form of repairing broken potter using lacquer mixed with gold to highlight the beauty of imperfection.

My interpretation of kintsugi is that items are made more beautiful because of their cracks, not in spite of them, and I feel that this is something that can be applied to people as well. Like broken pottery put back together with gold, we are made whole again in spite of our trials and tribulations and are more beautiful and unique having been broken.

I wanted to share the message that broken is beautiful with the world, so I created a brand devoted to doing just that. When I became a mom a few years later, my daughter inspired me to take that brand a step further and create something that made the message digestible for children. Children are often shaped by their childhood experiences. I think it’s important that we teach them from a young age to honor and celebrate the things that make them unique. I wrote The Kintsugi Kid to teach little ones important lessons about strength, resilience, confidence, and, ultimately, self-love, that will shape the way they face their own trials and tribulations for years to come.

The Kintsugi Kid is the most meaningful project that I’ve ever worked on because it was not only inspired by my own experience with my brain tumor, but also by my daughter. The lesson that I wrote in the book is one that I hope that my children and other children learn and never forget.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’m Allison: wife, mama, expat, relationship expert, millennial, AKA, self-care advocate, content creator, self-published author, and so much more! Thanks to my husband’s basketball career, we’ve lived in 5 different countries and a few different U.S. cities, but Atlanta is and will always be home.

My husband, DeQuan, and I met just before our freshmen year at the University of Miami and have been married since 2014. We welcomed our first little broke bestie, Harper, in July 2019, and being a mom has been my favorite adventure yet. Our son, Jaxson, joined the party this past February. Momming is my main job these days, but I’m also a small business owner. My company, Kintsugi Candle Co, was born out of my own experience with a brain tumor in 2018. I wrote my first children’s book, The Kintsugi Kid, in order to teach children important lessons about strength, resilience, confidence, and, ultimately, self-love, that will shape the way they face their own trials and tribulations for years to come.

I’m a recovering perfectionist. That being said, for much of my life, I dealt with chronic anxiety. Self-care and my faith in God have helped me to cope, which is why both are an important part of my personal journey.

I have a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling and specialize in couples’ communication and premarital coaching. I love to share relationship oriented content, and share about all things motherhood, as I pride myself in being authentic in my journey by sharing my broken beautiful life on my blog and social media.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The mission of my brand is to inspire others to honor the beauty in the broken. I’m a big believer that so-called imperfections are what make each and every one of us special. We all have little gold-filled cracks of our own, shimmering traces that tell a unique story of resilience and renewal. I’m here to share my unique story with you and I hope that this inspires others to share theirs as well.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I like to say that I’m a recovering perfectionist because for a long time, I felt like I had to showcase a picture perfect life. While I do believe we should all strive to be our best, I’ve also learned that there is such beauty in authenticity. It was during my recovery from brain surgery that I realized how exhausting it was to try to be perfect. I learned that our perfect imperfections, those things that we have all been through that make us unique, are far more beautiful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.allisonmathisjones.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/allisonmathisjones
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/allisonmathisjones
• Other: www.thekintsugikid.com

Image Credits
Shantel Escobar – Captured by Shantel