Joanna Darby
Episode 5

Narrator:

Welcome, friends, to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. Join your host, Japhet De Oliveira, with his guest today, and discover the moments that shape us, our families and communities.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Welcome to another episode of The Story & Experience Podcast. Friends, it's just beautiful to have another guest today. And for those of you who are brand-new to this, what happens here is that we basically have a hundred questions. Of course, we're not going to go through all hundred questions, but we have a hundred questions that aggressively get more difficult as you get to question 100. And the first 10 questions, I'm going to ask our guest. And we'll include their name so you'll get to know them in a few seconds, who they are. And then they get to choose question 11 through to 100, any number they want. We'll dive into that. And these questions will actually open up into the stories and experiences that shape their life, that actually will reveal something about them and will hopefully help you, as well.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Because I believe, as you will see, that actually these kinds of conversations are the best kinds of conversations that take place in your life. Just like having a great cup of tea, sitting down, connecting will shape your life, as well. So, let's dive in straight away, shall we? Let's start with your name. It's a really simple one, but what's your name? And does anybody ever slaughter it or say something wrong with it? But, yeah, what is your name?

Joanna Darby:

My name is Joanna, and most people call me Jo for short, except for my family of course. My family all call me Joanna. But most people call me Jo. I've had other nicknames too. A lot of people would just call me Josephine, just because. I don't know why.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's not connected at all, but that's great. Joanna, do you have a last name, as well?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, I do. I do. Joanna Darby. Darby.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Great.

Joanna Darby:

And the funny thing... Yeah, it's lucky that I have one of those. There is a significant street in the city where I live called Darby Street, which is like the eat street. It's where all the cafes and restaurants and stuff are. So, it's a really easy one. People go, "What's your last name? How do you spell it?" "Darby, just like the street." And then conversations start, people always ask if we own it. We don't.

Japhet De Oliveira:

You wish. That'd be fantastic.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, we wish. Yeah, that would be great.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That'd be historical. That'd be great. That's super. Jo, Joanna, what should I call you?

Joanna Darby:

Jo.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Because if family call you Joanna, I should, I feel like...

Joanna Darby:

Well, no, just call me Jo.

Japhet De Oliveira:

... I feel bad now.

Joanna Darby:

When I say family, I mean my parents. But my husband calls me Jo.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh. Okay, then all right, then this is OK.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It could be complex. All right, so what do you do for work?

Joanna Darby:

Now, it's like we've jumped to 100 already.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, no. That's not-

Joanna Darby:

Because I feel like that's the most complex question, what do I do for work.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, complex...

Joanna Darby:

OK, I am an artist. I am an artist, but I'm also an educator. So, I work in schools mostly. And I'm also a writer and I'm also a student. So, all of those things, all of those things.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes. And you're phenomenal artist. I mean just ridiculous.

Joanna Darby:

Thank you.

Japhet De Oliveira:

If you have not seen Joanna's art, I mean, you need to. It's brilliant. And great writer. You also are a speaker.

Joanna Darby:

Oh, yes. See, this is why it's complex, because I always leave somebody off the list.

Japhet De Oliveira:

International speaker. You need to go listen to her because it's pretty fantastic. I mean, you're listening to her right now. But, yeah, it's great. So, you do a variety of things, but you're constantly pushing lots of great things into... You're a super advocate for justice, as well.

Joanna Darby:

Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

But I'm so glad that you've taken the time to actually connect with us today. So, if I were to ask you how long you've been in your current role, you would say probably your entire life.

Joanna Darby:

Yes. Because I don't know what my... Yeah, that's a tricky one. Yes is my answer.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes is your answer. All right, then. So, in the morning when you begin your day, what's your drink of choice? Is it water?

Joanna Darby:

Coffee, black coffee. Filter coffee.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Really?

Joanna Darby:

Yep, great big pot of black filter coffee.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay.

Joanna Darby:

The whole pot.

Japhet De Oliveira:

The whole pot. Do you drink it out of the pot?

Joanna Darby:

No, no, no, no, no. It's definitely coffee. It took me a long time to switch from coffee with milk to black coffee, but I love it.

Japhet De Oliveira:

But now it's an acquired, beautiful taste, right?

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It's true. When you have really great coffee, it's hard to actually start to add milk to it.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay, good. Jo, where were you born?

Joanna Darby:

I grew up in the mid-north coast of New South Wales in Australia, but I was actually born at a hospital in Sydney, which was the Sydney Adventist Hospital. My parents were not Adventist or anything like that, but through just my mom's specific medical needs, she needed to go and see a specialist that was at that hospital. And so that's where I was born.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh. And I presume you've been back there right?

Joanna Darby:

Not as a patient.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, I mean to visit.

Joanna Darby:

But I have been back to visit, yes. Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

OK. All right, Been back to visit, that's great. I've actually taken my kids, as well, just to see the place where I was born. And so that's good. With all the jobs that you have and all the vocations that you do right now, what did you imagine as a child you were going to be when you grew up? Any of those things?

Joanna Darby:

Yeah. There were three things that I mostly wanted to be. I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to be a writer or an archeologist. So, I haven't managed the archeologist thing, but the other two I have. I did have a short stint where I thought I might want to be a pediatrician because I thought that was cool, but I could not. That was a very short stint.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's actually fantastic. I mean you're one of those guests that actually worked out from childhood to actually live it out. That's actually great. It's really good, really good.

Joanna Darby:

Except the archeology, haven't nailed that one.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. No, that's good.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, there's still time.

Japhet De Oliveira:

If we were to describe your personality just a little bit and somebody was to say are you an introvert or an extrovert, which way would they describe you? And would you agree?

Joanna Darby:

So, I am most definitely an introvert, and people who know me will know that. But because of the public speaking that I do and the educating that I do, often people are mistaken and think I'm extroverted. But that's something that I'm able to turn on when I need to do that. But I'm most definitely an introvert.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right, all right. That's fantastic. 

Joanna Darby:

You're laughing about it like it's hilarious though.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I know, I know. No, it is because I know you well, and I agree. Habits, early riser, late-night hour?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, my entire life, and I'm... Hang on. How old am I? 38. I always get stuck. I'm 39, yeah, I think because I'm thinking...

Japhet De Oliveira:

I'm telling you, I have to think every time how old am I too, yeah.

Joanna Darby:

So, for 38 years I have been a night person, cannot get up in the mornings, have tried, struggled. But this year, because of my particular loading of commitments and responsibilities and studying and that sort of thing, I have had to completely change my...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Joanna Darby:

... body clock and routines, and I'm up at 4:00 a.m. every day now. It's pretty wild.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Which I appreciate because we're recording this, and what time is it for you right now?

Joanna Darby:

Well, it's not too bad. It's 6:17. It's the middle of the day now really. But, yes, now that's been a real journey for me this year. And I thought it was impossible, but it's happened. But I do have to go to bed very early now to make that work.

Japhet De Oliveira:

So, this morning when you woke up at 4:00 a.m., what was the very first thought that you had?

Joanna Darby:

Do I have to?

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes. Yeah, I mean it would be nice. I mean you could skip the question. I mean, and I should say that because of...

Joanna Darby:

No, I mean that's what I think, "Do I have to?" Like, "Do I have to get up?"

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, do you have to? I thought you were like do you have to answer the question. I was like, "OK."

Joanna Darby:

No, no. 4:00 a.m. I think through it. Like, literally the alarm goes off and I go, "How much do I need to get up right now? Do I really need to? Oh yeah, here's my list of things. I do actually need to get up right now. Do I have to? Yes."

Japhet De Oliveira:

Bec and I, we both get up at 4:00 a.m. every day. And today I actually felt the same way. And I looked at her and I said, "OK. Maybe today, maybe we shouldn't get up at 4:00." It was just one of those days. I'm with you, yeah. All right, all right. A leadership question here, are you a backseat driver?

Joanna Darby:

That's a tricky one. Am I a backseat driver? I'm going to say no, I'm not. I am naturally a leader. So, when I am in, let's just say it's actually an appointed position, I'm often the leader. But when I am not the appointed leader, I'm quite happy to just support that leader. Oh, I don't know. Actually, I might question it a little bit. I might not be able to help myself. I think it depends. It depends on how well that leader's driving. It really does. I'm more than happy to support others in leadership, but there might be times where I might be a bit of a backseat driver.

Japhet De Oliveira:

This is an honest...

Joanna Darby:

Being very honest.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I know, I know. This is honest. And the beautiful thing about it...

Joanna Darby:

It's so dependent on the situation and the people.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Isn't it?

Joanna Darby:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And the people.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes, yes. It's very difficult. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes not. And sometimes it's just good.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's great. Wonderful. Love that. All right. So, now the floor is open, right?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, gosh.

Japhet De Oliveira:

So, now it's you to choose between numbers 11 and 100. And obviously you want...

Joanna Darby:

Does everybody choose 11 because they're just a little bit nervous and want to test the waters?

Japhet De Oliveira:

No. People are varied. I mean, people have... So, it's your choice.

Joanna Darby:

OK, right.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Joanna Darby:

OK.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Where do you want to go?

Joanna Darby:

Let's choose number 15.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Fifteen. Nobody's done... No, I'm kidding. And so...

Joanna Darby:

Everybody's chosen 15?

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, no.

Joanna Darby:

Are you going to get a psychologist to look at this afterwards and actually go, "Here's the trends of what people picked?" And anyway, that's just an odd question.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I have been thinking about that, actually, having done this quite a few times, just wondering if there's a thinking between the numbers that we choose and the patterns that we pick. And it's intriguing, as well, just the numbers, as well.

Joanna Darby:

Fascinating, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

But 15. All right, so here's for number 15. What is the one thing that you always misplace?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, sunglasses probably.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, yeah?

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, and my glasses. Yeah, I...

Japhet De Oliveira:

And your glasses, as well.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And so you misplaced them and you have to get other ones, or you just eventually find them?

Joanna Darby:

No, no. I just waste time looking for them whether in this bag or that bag. Are they on that desk? Did I leave them in the car? That sort of thing, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I have had to create systems to store things and keys in the right place so that...

Joanna Darby:

See, I don't do it with any of those other things. Keys, wallet, phone. I'm really, really particular. I know where they are, but glasses, yeah, that's my one.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. That's good. All right, good. Where do you want to go, up or down?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, you can go down? I thought we had to go up.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh yeah. Yeah.

Joanna Darby:

No, no, no.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, you can go to, yeah, choice is yours.

Joanna Darby:

No, no, no, I'll jump.

Japhet De Oliveira:

All right.

Joanna Darby:

Twenty-four.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Twenty-four. All right. Tell us about a time you were over- or underdressed for an occasion.

Joanna Darby:

I don't know if this is the right sort of example, but Leighton and I were on holiday. So, it was actually our honeymoon, and we went on a day trip over to an island. We were in our own car and we went for a day trip where you had to go on a ferry. And it was like beach driving in a full drive. And our car actually broke down and we were stuck on that island for overnight and the next day. And all I had was literally my swimsuit and a pair of shorts because we were going over there just to go for a swim in the lakes and things and then come back. And I had to spend about 30 hours or so, and figure out how to go to restaurants. Because we were stuck on this island. We weren't planning to be there. And I had my bathers and a pair of shorts, a hat maybe. It was brilliant, yeah. Anyway, that's probably...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Made the honeymoon even more memorable. That's good.

Joanna Darby:

Look, yeah, there's more to that story, but anyway.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. That's good. Hey, life moments. It's great.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, super. Good. I'm glad the car broke down. All right, which number next?

Joanna Darby:

It all worked out. It all worked out.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It all worked out. That's great.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, and on the way... Anyway, we ended up having, oh, it's a whole other story. We'll just have to have that conversation another time, Japhet.

Japhet De Oliveira:

OK. All right. All right. What number next?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, that's right. It's back to me.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, yeah.

Joanna Darby:

Thirty.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Thirty. All right. Tell us about something that you're really looking forward to.

Joanna Darby:

Finishing this trimester.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah. So, I'm studying right now, and the load is pretty heavy. And there's some fantastic subjects and maybe one that's not as fantastic. And I'm just on the countdown to finish because it's been really wild balancing it with my family. And I feel like we're barely making it. So, it would be good to get to the end of it.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And what are you studying?

Joanna Darby:

Arts and cultural management, so it's a master's program.

Japhet De Oliveira:

OK. All right.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Good for you. That's fantastic. Really good. All right, super. All right. Where do you want to go next?

Joanna Darby:

Thirty-six.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Thirty-six. All right, then. Tell us about one thing you hope never changes.

Joanna Darby:

Oh. One thing that I hope never changes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Joanna Darby:

Oh, I don't want to create too much down time thinking about it. One thing I hope never changes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, it's OK. It's OK.

Joanna Darby:

My relationship with my sister.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Aw.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. We're best friends, and I hope that never changes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. That's good. That's nice. I like that. That's beautiful. All right. Where do you want to go next?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, I keep forgetting that it's me in the...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Is your sister younger or older than you?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, younger.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Younger, all right. Hey, that's great.

Joanna Darby:

Yep, yep. Thirty-nine.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Thirty-nine, all right. If you didn't need to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

Joanna Darby:

Paint. Paint and draw.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah. Or maybe read books, but paint and draw.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, yeah paint and draw.

Joanna Darby:

Because that's the thing that, at the moment, is the real squeeze for me. And I could just do it all day, and it's the most filling thing. And yeah, I would paint and draw all day, all night if...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Would you take on some kind of mammoth project yourself? Would you create a project?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, everything. I would keep working on my own work, my own body of work. I've just started doing murals recently which I thought I would never do, but I love them. So, I'm keen to do that sort of thing. I get excited about collaborative projects and public art. And, oh, I would just do all of it. Just do art. That's what I would do if I didn't have to sleep.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, maybe one day. Maybe one day. We'll see.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Right. Although sleep is so good, so good.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

All right, what's the next number?

Joanna Darby:

Forty-four.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Forty-four, all right? What is something that you are proud to have created? Oh, and you chose that one.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah. Well, look, there's my children.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Joanna Darby:

Japhet, does it just have to be one?

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, no. No, you can reframe it.

Joanna Darby:

Well, recently I've worked on some murals that I'm really proud of. There's a few particular paintings that stand out to me. There's some other just really fun projects and book projects I've been a part of. Other things like the One Project that I've been part of that I'm just really, really proud of. Yeah, things like that.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. My wife's bought some of your art. I mean, yeah, your art is actually phenomenal, as well. I mean, yeah, it's beautiful. It's nice to have stuff that you're proud that you created, right? Stuff that you can actually look back upon.

Joanna Darby:

Oh, there's a lot of rubbish too.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, yeah, but...

Joanna Darby:

There's a lot of paintings that never made it, but there's some good ones in there.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Underneath the paintings that are really great.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

All right. Where do you want to go next? Which number?

Joanna Darby:

Forty-eight.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Forty-eight. All right. Tell us about your best personality trait.

Joanna Darby:

Best personality trait.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yes.

Joanna Darby:

I'm very honest, maybe to a fault. I don't know. Can it be to a fault? Probably. I'm sure it can be.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, there's a difference between blunt and then being honest.

Joanna Darby:

No, I don't think I'm blunt.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I don't think you're blunt. I think you're actually are a very honest person. Integrity.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, yeah. I think that's absolutely true about you. It's a part of your character. Yeah, that's good. That's good. And a lot of people know that about you, as well. And I think that's what brings authenticity to the messages and the things that you write and actually comes through in your art, as well. And so that's good. Beautiful. What number?

Joanna Darby:

Fifty-six.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Fifty-six, all right.

Joanna Darby:

How many do I have left? Not many.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, it's not how many you have left. It's just how much time.

Joanna Darby:

Oh, I just keep going. We just keep going, OK.

Japhet De Oliveira:

You keep going. What I will do is at some point I'm going to say, "Hey, you got enough time for about two more."

Joanna Darby:

Oh, right. OK, OK.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And then you're like, "OK, I want to go to number..."

Joanna Darby:

Am I the worst guest for understanding this? And you've had to explain it to me more times than anybody else?

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, no. Actually everybody does the same thing. It's actually great. 

Joanna Darby:

Awesome, awesome. Not that it matters. I'm not trying to compare myself to other guests.

Japhet De Oliveira:

This is the question. Do you compare yourself to other... No.

Joanna Darby:

Right. Well, I'm honest.

Japhet De Oliveira:

All right.

Joanna Darby:

So, yeah, yeah, keep going.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No, no, it's true. It's true. So what was the question number? It was...

Joanna Darby:

Fifty-six. Is that what I said?

Japhet De Oliveira:

Fifty-six.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I think so, yes. So, 56, share an activity that makes you lose track of time.

Joanna Darby:

Look, painting. But also walking, like bush walking or hiking. Some people call it trekking. I don't know where all of your audience...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Bush walking, yes, that's good.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good.

Joanna Darby:

We call it bush walking.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Hiking.

Joanna Darby:

What do you... Hiking, yeah. So, I could do that all day and lose track of time.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's true. That's true. That's good. That's good. It's easy to do. And what is it about the activity? Is it that you don't have a plan of where you're going?

Joanna Darby:

Oh, no. I have to have a plan where I'm going.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right.

Joanna Darby:

I need a trail. I need a trail. What is it about it?

Japhet De Oliveira:

So, how do you lose track of the...

Joanna Darby:

Well, I don't lose track of where I am. I just lose track of time. I could do it all day and go, "Oh, wow. It's lunchtime. I've been walking all day. I didn't realize."

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, I think, to me, I get lost in my own thoughts. I can be very present. You're far away from all of the other things and pressures. You just get to be in nature and take notice of that. And, yeah, I just love it.

Japhet De Oliveira:

So, when you walk, you're not one of those people that needs to walk with listening to things.

Joanna Darby:

Oh no. No, no, no.

Japhet De Oliveira:

You actually walk and be in the space. All right.

Joanna Darby:

Yes, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Beautiful. Nice, nice. All right, great. Where do you want to go after 56?

Joanna Darby:

Sixty-two.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Sixty-two, all right. What does a sense of community mean to you?

Joanna Darby:

Belonging and safety, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And safety.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah. And safety not just in the physical sense but in the emotional sense and in the spiritual sense, like we feel safe to be ourselves, we feel safe to ask questions, that sort of thing. That feels like community to me. Food, as well. Oh, there's lots of things in a community, but belonging and safety are the first two, but then food and laughter, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Do you find communities like that easy, like they exist everywhere? Or do you have to create that?

Joanna Darby:

Yes and no. I think they do exist everywhere, but you need to find them or create them. I think they can be created everywhere. Well, actually there's probably situations where it's very difficult and very challenging. But, yes, I think there are lots of them and I think we need to be part of them and make them is my very short answer. I think that's a huge topic.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. In your life though, have you found that you have generally been a person who has created that or you've just generally been lucky enough just to find them all the time?

Joanna Darby:

You know what? I'm lucky enough to be part of them because of my husband, because he is so good at building community. I'm not as good at building community. And being so incredibly introverted, community really matters to me and I need it. But I'm slower at it, if that makes sense. But my husband, Leighton, he's the community man. Everybody knows that where he is, he brings warmth and light and just brings people together and creates connection and, yeah, just knows how to do that really well.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, pretty fantastic.

Joanna Darby:

So, I'm just attached to him so I get to be part of really good community all the time.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I like it. All right. Where do you want to go next?

Joanna Darby:

Sixty-seven.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Sixty-seven, all right. Oh, I don't know how you end up picking these. What is the best picture you've ever taken, and why?

Joanna Darby:

Best picture I've ever taken. I'm getting really fun questions.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I know. I know. You've picked these numbers.

Joanna Darby:

I haven't seen the list, I promise. Probably something... Oh, this is hard but I am going to choose a photo from remote Outback, Australia, something around the Mitchell Plateau where you feel like you've got to travel to the end of the earth to get it. And then there's these amazing waterfalls and pools...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Joanna Darby:

... and rock formations and, yeah, amazing.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, yeah.

Joanna Darby:

It's probably something like that. We've done a lot of travel around Australia and taken a lot of photo so probably, yeah, one of those.

Japhet De Oliveira:

So, that was an intentional journey for the photo, or you just happened to be there and then you took the photo?

Joanna Darby:

Look, it was not a we happened to be there because you literally have to travel to the end of the earth to get to it. It was such a journey. Think, roads were closed and you've got to carry your own water and fuel, and days and days between showers and any kind of...

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, it was pretty intense. We've been to some pretty remote places, but the Mitchell Plateau really did feel like we got to as far as we could go. And then we had to go further. We really thought we were going to the end of the earth.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That actually sounds like a journey just to Australia.

Joanna Darby:

A little bit, a little bit.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's amazing. That's amazing. Oh, that's fantastic. Good, good. All right. Where next?

Joanna Darby:

Seventy-one.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Seventy-one, all right. Describe a time when your life took an unpredictable turn.

Joanna Darby:

Maybe even just recently going back to teaching. I didn't think that I would go back to teaching. So, I had been teaching. I stopped teaching when my children were born. I actually stayed home with them and homeschooled for a long time until my eldest was starting high school, or just before starting high school, sorry. And when my kids went to school and we did all of that transition, just facing those questions, "What do I do now?," and needing some income on top of the art practice that I was doing and went, "Oh, I think I'm going to have to go back to teaching." I would not have predicted that. If you'd have asked me even three years before, "Will you go back to teaching?" I would have said, "No." But I'm a bit unpredictable.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. That's good. And I would imagine that there's a lot of creativity that you get to express through the teaching, as well.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, yeah. Look, there's good days and bad days. Mostly I'm doing casual teaching at the moment. I did do a block of creative arts teaching which was in primary school, which was a whole new thing for me.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Joanna Darby:

I'm a high school teacher. Studies of religion and visual arts in my teaching areas, but I ended up doing a block of creative art, so art, music, dance, and drama for kindy to year six.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh my.

Joanna Darby:

And that was a whole new thing for me, so I learned a lot.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. That's good. All right. We have time really for the final two questions.

Joanna Darby:

OK.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Where do you want to go? Yeah. Yeah, I can't believe it's just gone by so quick. All right. So, yeah.

Joanna Darby:

Seventy-eight.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Seventy-eight, all right. Let's go there. Tell us about what gives you childlike joy.

Joanna Darby:

Oh, we've already done this. It's painting.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I know, I know.

Joanna Darby:

It's painting and drawing.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, you choose these numbers, and I'm like... You're just like...

Joanna Darby:

Honestly, it really is.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah.

Joanna Darby:

So, there are periods where I don't get to paint and draw for a long time just because of life. And then often my husband will start to notice changes in me and say, "You really need to start painting again. You need that." And when I start painting again, I literally start skipping through the house. When I've got to run to the kitchen to go make a cup of tea, and I start running everywhere because it's like, "I'm so excited and I don't want to waste a moment." And even in between things, I'm kind of like leaping. It really gives me childlike joy. It just fills me up.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's beautiful. That's beautiful. I think people actually need that in their life, generally speaking. We should all have something that brings that kind of childlike joy to us. Rather than just seeing it in little kids, we should actually experience it, as well. I have that. I actually have that kind of joy, moments of that, nearly every day. It's just like there's something that's going on all the time. It's like, "Oh man, this is great."

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, yeah. That's awesome.

Japhet De Oliveira:

So, yeah, I'm with you. All right, last question.

Joanna Darby:

Oh, wow. Well, I don't know how close to go to the hundred. How about I just go... Because, I don't know, sometimes I'm very brave and sometimes I'm not brave at all.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh yeah.

Joanna Darby:

Eight-seven. Let's do 87.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Eighty-seven, all right then. When you're under incredible stress, what helps to ground you?

Joanna Darby:

Leighton, my husband. Absolutely.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And how does he ground you?

Joanna Darby:

By reminding me that this is just stress. Yeah. No, how does he ground me? He's such a constant. He's a very stable sort of person. He's very consistent. He has a lot of faith and he has a lot of faith in people. He helps me put things in perspective. He's very encouraging and supportive. All of those things. I don't know, it's probably different at different times. And I'd probably need to think about it a little bit more to articulate it better, but he's certainly the one that grounds me, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I like how fast that was for you. It was instant.

Joanna Darby:

Oh, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Right? It's just like it's...

Joanna Darby:

Look, I... Sorry, I was just going to say I do experience anxiety. I've been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. And so there have been periods where that has been very intense and difficult. And he has been phenomenal and he has been the one that is able to just be very calming for me, help me think through my thought processes, call me out of things and just go, "Jo, your mind's not on a great track right now. You just need to get a hold of that." And so he's really good. He's amazing.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I don't think people understand exactly how overwhelming anxiety can be.

Joanna Darby:

No, and I think people talk through... I mean I know we talk about it much more openly now, which is fantastic.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Which is good.

Joanna Darby:

But I think people throw the term around, the term anxiety, for regular sort of things that all of us would get stressed about and regular life pressures and stresses, which are legitimate and valid but are quite different from an actual anxiety disorder. And obviously there's a whole spectrum and very large range of that and how people experience that. But, yes, quite serious anxiety can be very debilitating, and I have experienced some of that. And Leighton is a blessing and a good man. Yeah, he's good.

Japhet De Oliveira:

No. Well, listen. Joanna, it's fantastic that you took the time so early in the morning, as well. And I really appreciate it.

Joanna Darby:

Yeah, I've got to run and make school lunches right now for my children.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, I know. I know. But it's great. It's great. And the purpose of these podcasts really, more than anything, is that they give a glimpse into people's lives. Because when we do, we actually remember and we learn that we actually have the same kind of things, right? We all have moments like that. We experience that kind of stuff, those kinds of stories, those kinds of experiences. They're similar, and it means that we belong. It means that we're safe, just like you said. And so I appreciate your honesty. I appreciate the stories that you shared and being on this with us. And so to everybody who's listening, I encourage you to share your stories with others, as well, your experiences with others, as well, because you will teach others and you'll teach yourself, as well. Thank you for listening to The Story & Experience Podcast. Joanna, thanks for being part of it.

Joanna Darby:

Thanks for having me. That was fun.

Japhet De Oliveira:

It was. And it's always a pleasure.

Narrator:

Thank you for joining us for The Story & Experience Podcast. We invite you to read, watch and submit your story and experience at adventisthealth.org/story. The Story & Experience Podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health through the Office of Culture