My mom was a nurse. Some of the best human traits crystallize in the people who choose this difficult, sometimes gut-wrenching, career of providing care and hope. And, very often, at the moments we need it most.
As a nurse at Sick Kids Hospital, Johanne Ruth’s superpowers were her innate empathy, compassion, and desire to make a tangible difference. The almost 40-year Caledon Village resident describes her career, which spanned 1978 to 2020, as “absolutely amazing, just amazing!”
“It was a very progressive, always-learning, type of career that forced you to think outside the box” she says. “Only, the true reward of my career was the privilege to hold space and to be a witness to the incredible everyday heroism of the human spirit, not just the children, but in their incredible families, as well as in my colleagues and coworkers.”
However, it was not what Johanne initially intended to do with her life. She loved to draw and had wanted to study art. “But I grew up in an era where you could be a teacher, a nurse, or a secretary. Being an artist really was not valued. There was no way my father was going to send me to art school. So, I become a nurse so I could go into art” she laughs.
After beginning her career at Sick Kids, she eventually enrolled to study art with the Art College of Ontario. However, after one semester Johanne’s mom became seriously ill. She wanted to look after her and could not manage that along with her career and the art program, so she let it go.
As it turned out she loved nursing, and the universe made sure that her art became a part of that.
Johanne’s artistic talents became noticed at Sick Kids, and she began doing murals, cartoons, and colouring books. It was the perfect balance. She became known as ‘the nurse that can draw.’
“After retiring five years ago I was faced with who am I now” she admits. “So, I am reinventing myself based on what I wanted when I was 16 – I wanted to be an artist.”
It was a busy and stressful Christmas family get-together in 2022 that produced Johanne’s first Gonk.
For those who are wondering, Gonks stem from Nordic and Scandinavian mythology and, according to folklore, might bring your home good luck and peace. In modern day, the cute tall-hatted creatures with hidden eyes, have become popular as Christmas décor.
During a much-needed break from all the frenzied holiday action Johanne found herself seeking a quiet moment to relax and draw, and a Gonk became her subject.
“From there I began drawing them at Christmas and adding Christmas words” Johanne explains.
Encouraged by positive feedback she moved beyond the Christmas season. She shared them with family and friends on Facebook. And their popularity grew.
Johanne, who like to go by “joh” now regularly creates Gonkisms – a sketched Gonk accompanied by a word, its meaning, and an inspirational message that is meant to be hopeful and something “people can hang to.” She chooses the word based on an emotion she is feeling and then “the challenge is to express that word with only a hat, nose, beard, hands and feet to portray it” she explains.
Here at JSC we have become big fans of joh’s Gonkisms. We find them thoughtful, healing, and uplifting at a time when hope has possibly never been more important. We hope you will enjoy them as much as we do. Watch for the first one tomorrow September 23rd!
