About Darby Hobbs
Early Years
As the youngest of four children, Darby was born and raised in CT within a very artistic home. Her mother was a professional artist and art teacher and her father a Professor, Mechanical Engineer, accomplished violinist, and storyteller in his own way. She started piano lessons at the age of 5 and recently took up djembe drumming.
Through her older sister Dora, she was mesmerized by bedtime stories that her sister would create live just as she was tucking her in for a peaceful night’s sleep. The expressions that came upon her sister’s face when telling the stories stayed with her like an actress rehearsing for a part on Broadway. Dora certainly won the Tony Award!
The seed was planted for storytelling, nurtured by love and adventure. Darby observed and experienced first-hand the artistry of Magic, Imagination, and Creativity – all aspects she brings to her writing. She along with her sister Karen, the illustrator of her books, became inspired to be an artist. She tells the tale; Karen brings it to life! Two artists connected by love.
A child at heart she learned to ‘make believe’ at a very young age, from being a teacher writing out lessons on the blackboard, to imaginary students and grading their very real papers. She loved to dress up wearing Mom’s jewelry strewn around her neck and forcing her shoes into Mom’s high heels. She never stopped pretending. This innocence led her to foresee tall tales and whip words into magic, which fill the pages of her books.
Darby Hobbs
Her Passion
Following a long and distinguished business career in the financial services and the investment industries, Darby has always been a storyteller expanding business vision – being the change agent, and around the dinner table continuing the family legacy with tales from yesteryear.
Her passion is to create positive change. Her roots as a teacher have served her well throughout her career and play an important role in sharing stories that entice young minds to explore life and events around them, seeing what could be if one applied a little Magic, Imagination, and Creativity. Developing and teaching courseware on Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing at Boston University and Bridgewater State University, Darby allowed students to explore and understand their purpose and how this forms their value structure and thus decision making – all creating the Designs of Their Life. As a mentor to colleagues, undergraduate, and graduate students at Boston College and other universities, Darby has expanded the vision of many that she has interacted with for she personifies the elegance of a thinker, the bravery of a strategist, and the creativity and imagination of an artist. All blended together this provides a unique perspective and kaleidoscope of ideas that come freely and naturally to her and thus to her reader.
Children’s Books
As an author, Darby’s children’s books are based on societal and human values driven toward making the world a better place. Recently she authored, Hockey Island, which speaks of Love, Freedom, Peace, Spirit, Kindness, and Simplicity and can be found on Amazon. It was inspired by a bedtime story her grandson George insisted she tell. She currently has several titles in production, the most recent being, The Tail of Grace & Kristoff (about a Unicorn and a Pig) which was inspired and dedicated to her daughter Grace. The story shares the friendship of love, understanding, acceptance, gratefulness, appreciation, and abundant spirit between the unicorn and the pig – or Grace & Kristoff.
Current Events
She has served on many advisory boards, graduate social impact competitions, and co-founded the Conscious Capitalism Chapter of Boston serving as President for two years. Always wanting to be an actress or a Radio City Rockette, Darby is very comfortable acting about and engaging an audience. Hence, she has performed live Improv Storytelling events for children as part of First Night Chatham. In addition, she has participated in several author events in and around Chatham.
Home & Family
Darby resides on Cape Cod with her loving husband, “Captain Jim.” They live near “Pirate No Teeth Cove” a special place full of legend and grand lore and where many of the characters she creates in her books come to life. By quiet observation and intent learning of what mother nature can teach us all, Darby pulls from what she sees and spins it into a story full of make-believe but with messages and learnings designed to guide the generations to come.
She is blessed with a loving family, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Her faith is what guides her, her soul is what speaks to her and her caring, kind and nurturing self is what makes her genuinely an artist you want to spend time with.