Darby started as an illustrator in his 20's. Then gave it up to write poetry.

"For me, I found words could do something for my heart that pictures could not". DH

Darby's first poem made it into Best Australian Poetry (Black Inc books) in 2012 and a second in 2013. This body of work comes full circle combining the two crafts of words and pictures bringing life to one another: 1 + 1 = 3!

"My first book of poetry, which I mostly wrote by the train tracks at night". DH

over 7 years, was published in 2019 "Falling Upwards" by

5 Island Press (University Of Melbourne).

You Am I, wrote a song about Darby - "DRB Hudson" released in 2021.