About Kintsugi Heroes
Kintsugi Heroes was started by Ian Westmoreland OAM, who left a corporate career behind to do something about the despair and disconnection he saw in his own community. He'd seen how much it can mean to hear someone else say the thing you thought was only yours.
What kintsugi means
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. The cracks aren't hidden, they're highlighted. The repaired piece is worth more than the original, not less. That's the whole idea here: what breaks you can also be the thing that makes you.
How this site works
Every story on this site comes from a real conversation on the Kintsugi Heroes podcast. The person in it signed a release form, said yes to sharing something hard, and we sat with the recording before any of it went up here, an overview, the chapters, what they'd want you to take from it. Nothing here is exaggerated and nothing is used without permission.
A not-for-profit, run by volunteers
Kintsugi Heroes is an Australian not-for-profit, run almost entirely by volunteers. It carries no commercial agenda. It exists to reduce stigma, build connection, and show people they're not alone.
We help people tell the stories they need to share, so people can find the stories they need to hear.
Every story here belongs to the person who lived it. They said yes to sharing it, and we sat with it carefully before it went up. Nothing here is exaggerated and nothing is used without permission.