Joshua Darrah: An Inspiration
Joshua Darrah is an amazing artist, an accomplished Gunpla modeler, and his positive attitude is contagious.
I first became aware of Joshua through Gunpla Talk, a monthly YouTube series. Joshua is an artist who does amazing drawings of Gundams, and he won the Australian Gunpla Builders World Cup in 2015 with an impressive Sinanju.
Jaw dropping...
Joshua's work is amazing but that's not what inspires me about him the most. For GBWC this year, he has been working on a Zeta and posting WIP pics online. The detail he's been putting in looks amazing and it would be a serious contender in the competition. The week before GBWC, he started a new web series with Zaku Aurelius called G-Check and during the first episode he mentioned that he had taken time off work to finish his entry before the competition. It was clear he was putting a lot of himself into his entry and I was very much looking forward to seeing his finished kit. But when pics started showing up online from GBWC Australia, his Zeta was notably absent. I checked his Facebook and Twitter for an update but there was nothing. A photo popped up of him giving a talk at GBWC Australia but there were no photos of his entry. Finally he updated Facebook saying he had missed the deadline but was still working on his Zeta. His post sounded upbeat and it was clear he was enjoying working on his model despite missing GBWC.
This post is oozing with enthusiasm, clear love of the hobby and an awesome display of skill.
I don't presume to know what he was thinking or feeling about missing the deadline for GBWC, but I know he was dedicating himself to it in a meaningful way. What we saw from Joshua was bulletproof resolve. Think about the last time you set a goal for yourself and missed it; I don't handle setbacks as well as he did, especially with the expectation that comes with winning the previous year. He had every right to vent frustration or contempt but instead he chose to display a relentless determination and positivism. That is what I admire most about Joshua. I haven't met him in person, but his actions online give all of us a great example to learn from. He has consistently been a source of positivism and excitement along with being a top tier Gunpla modeler.
I'm still looking forward to seeing his Zeta when it's completed but he's shown us something far more impressive. Here in the States we are lucky that our hobby is supported to the extent that we have multiple GBWC options across the country and it's a great time to build Gunpla! But what I'm most thankful for is people in our community like Joshua who are a great example of both how to be a success and how handle a setback. Joshua if you're reading this, thank you for setting such a great example and keep it up; your awesomeness is appreciated! You may have missed your chance to be recognized at GBWC this year but if it was up to me I'd give you Gunpla modeler of the year. Cheers!