Debbie Millman has an ongoing project at PRINT titled “What Matters.” This is an effort to understand the interior life of artists, designers, and creative thinkers. This facet of the project is a request of each invited respondent to answer ten identical questions and submit a nonprofessional photograph.
Joanne Chan is the CEO of Turner Duckworth. She has been with the agency for over 26 years, seeing it through its many life stages and maintaining its relevance as one of the world’s most influential design agencies.
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
Spending time with my family, whether it’s traveling abroad with my husband and daughter, having Sunday dinner at my parents’ house, or hanging out with my sister. It’s also the small moments that I cherish – deep meaningful chats with my two best girlfriends, taking walks with my husband, hugging our daughter, having a laugh with my sister about something no one else would find funny, and petting any of our four cats.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
My mother is a talented Chinese watercolor painter and a retired piano teacher. I learned to paint as soon as I could hold a brush, although I never mastered it and I started playing piano at age 4.
What is your biggest regret?
I don’t have regrets. I make mistakes, I own them, I apologize, learn from them, and move on. If I’m not happy with a decision or my state of mind, I explore why and then pivot. A missed opportunity can also be seen as an opportunity to do something else that could be even better.
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
By crying and leaning on the people I love. I believe it’s totally okay to be sad – sometimes it’s the only option. When that happens in my life, I look elsewhere for reasons to be happy, and I’m very fortunate to have always found happiness again.
What makes you cry?
Crying, for me, is not the same as sadness. It’s an expression of empathy, feelings, and human connection. I cry very easily over little things: Watching my favorite episodes of The West Wing for the 10th time, or an emotional ad, and always, without exception, at the end of any live theater. What makes me really cry is knowing that people I love are in pain, either physically or emotionally, and reading the news. I also cry when I’m happy!
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
With my work, I often need to move on quickly to something else, so I don’t spend much time on my own accomplishments. I love celebrating the success of our teams at Turner Duckworth. I express gratitude, pride, and joy in their achievements more than my own. The pride and joy I feel toward my closest colleagues are everlasting.
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
I’m not deeply religious, but I have my own personal mix of faith, spirituality, and belief in some kind of divinity. Science has proven that energy cannot be created or destroyed – only converted into another form. With that in mind, I’d like to think that there is an afterlife, whether we become stardust again or we are reincarnated into some other living form. No one truly knows, but it’s nice to imagine the possibilities. I would love to come back as a cat.
What do you hate most about yourself?
This is a great, provocative question! I think hate is a very strong emotion and a loaded word that I use only to describe loaded situations and the people who perpetuate violence, harm, and suffering of innocent people and animals. I don’t believe hate is productive, and more importantly, it never leads to kindness or love, so why expend any energy hating anything, least of all oneself?
There are several aspects of myself that I continue to work on, to be a better human, a more present and supportive family member and friend, and a more courageous and effective leader.
What do you love most about yourself?
My capacity to love deeply, unconditionally, and somewhat overwhelmingly.
What is your absolute favorite meal?
I have so many, sorry, I can’t choose one. Anything my mother cooks, my sister’s Thanksgiving dinner, my husband’s pasta bolognese, and really fresh sushi. The most unforgettable and delightful restaurant experiences so far have been at Tickets in Barcelona and the Kaiseki Japanese breakfast at Hoshinoya Tokyo. And I love French fries to a dangerous degree.