“I have exquisite wanderlust”

Libby DeLana is an executive creative director, founder of This Morning Walk and co-host of the podcast This Morning Walk with Alex Elle. She spoke at the 2022 Do Lectures with Cheryl Strayed about the transformative power of a walk.

Libby spent her career in advertising. She was the Director of Design at MullenLowe for 15 years, then went on to co-found the boutique agency Mechanica. Libby’s work has won many industry awards and been featured in publications including PRINT Design Annual, Fast Company, Graphis and Communication Arts. She has been profiled by the BBC Radio 4 series The Chain in which 'leading figures name the woman who has inspired their success'.

She is an advocate for female leadership, an aspiring pilot, rookie fly fisher, fan of a strong cup of tea and mum to two tall, smart, kind men. Do Walk is her first published book.

https://linktr.ee/DavidPearl

Timeline

00.00 - 00.46

The Wanderful Theme

00.47 - 05.55

Introducing Libby DeLana

05.57 - 11.18

Libby talks about ‘wandering’: The back story - How ‘This Morning Walk’ began:

• What did Libby need to nourish her?

11.19 - 14.30

• Learning new lessons through every walk

14.31 - 21.08

• What Libby learn’s from the practice and what’s the magic state?

21.10 - 27.48

• Walking the same loop: Focusing on each step and each breath

27.50 - 31.10

• Libby’s navigation system: trusting gut / age

31.11 - 35.49

• Waking up with the grumps - curiosity about the deep dark depths.

35.50 - 38.30

• Moving through grief and sadness

38.32 - 45.03

The ‘Wanderful’ Exercise: Holding your discomfort and taking it for a walk

45.04 - 46.04

End credits

Quotations

“Walking is an equivalent practice to one of meditation or yoga. It has become a place of quiet, of nourishment, sanctuary, healing of inspiration. I find it’s my most creative part of the day.” (Libby)

“Even a three minute walk can have a profound effect.” (Libby)

“I just love the fidelity of the (walking) practice - it feels like fidelity for myself. It’s not about steps and miles. It’s about keeping that commitment to myself. It’s a radical act of love.” (Libby)

“It’s about an attentiveness and a consciousness, about taking a walk for ‘me’.” (Libby)

“As I walked with a thought in my head… slowly it would come down into my heart and then down to my belly… it’s a way of me understanding my ancient knowing.” (Libby)

“As I walk, that ‘ball of string’ softens and loosens and I can become to see the individual thread.”

“(Walking) enables me to know more, feel more… and trust my heart and gut, versus everything I’m telling myself up in my head.” (Libby)

“I’m seeing the feet first and changing my gaze from external to internal.” (Libby)

“You’re not just walking through the street, you were walking through yourself. The thing you find beautiful out there is a reflection of the thing you find beautiful within.” (David)

“For me it’s constant curiosity and inquiry - what is going to show up each day. Who is going to show up? What kind of conversations are we going to have? Those are my navigation tools.” (Libby)

Links

Libby DeLana

Web: https://libbydelana.com/

Twitter: @parkhere

Instagram: @parkhere

This Morning Walk: https://www.thismorningwalk.com/

David Pearl (host)

Twitter @DavidPearlHere

Instagram @davidpearl_here

Website www.davidpearl.net

Andrew Paine (Producer & Audio Engineer)

Twitter @ItPainesMe