The Law Doesn't Have to Be Your Whole Life
A couple of years ago I had a bit of an existential crisis. I had been practicing law for almost a decade and I felt like something was missing. After some serious soul-searching, I decided I wanted to start writing creatively again. Writing was always something I enjoyed and was good at, but the kind of creative writing I loved doing in high school and college was slipping away as I delved deeper into my corporate practice. So I decided to do something about it and have been freelance writing for Betches for the past couple of years. And if you too are toying with the idea of branching out from your legal practice and pursuing an interest or hobby on the side, you can too. Here’s how I did it and why I’m so glad I did.
Pinpoint Your Passion
If you already know what it is you want to pursue, great! You can move on to the next heading of the article. :) But if you’re less sure, the best place to start is to confide in friends and family and ask them to tell you what you’re great at. Oftentimes we underestimate ourselves and fail to see the special talents we possess that are so clear to those who know us best. It’s also helpful to think back to your younger years when you had more free time and remember what you were doing back then without the pressures of work and relationships. Chances are, the answer is right under your nose.
Be Bold
Once you’ve figured out what it is you want to do, it’s time to reach out to like-minded people who share your specific interest. In my case, if I was going to be a published author, I needed to reach out to people who would publish my writing! I was a loyal Betches reader since its inception, so I knew what I had to do. After some internet sleuthing, I found the email for the editor-in-chief, did some research on her, and sent an email introducing myself and asking to treat her to a drink to talk more about her career. To my delight, she said yes. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those who can help you, even if they’re strangers. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised, and even if you’re not, don’t be discouraged. Know that rejection is part of the process, and move on to the next person who can help you.
Make the Time
As lawyers, we’re all busy. But if you want to explore an interest outside the law, the key is to schedule the time for it, and organically. If you’re a morning person, then carve out an hour or so each morning to do whatever it is you enjoy doing. If, like me, you can’t wake up until your clock starts with at least an “8”, commit to spending some time each night just for you. Since I don’t have to wake up absurdly early for work, I spend one night a week staying up late and meeting article deadlines. When you’re doing something you love, you find time and, somehow, the energy.
Own It
Being an attorney doesn’t have to be your entire identity, nor should it. It’s okay to have interests and aspirations outside of the law and to be honest about those—you’re far from the only one. In my case, I had been writing under a pseudonym until very recently. After some careful consideration and writing about a personal experience, I decided to start writing under my real name. If I was going to be a lawyer and a writer, why was I hiding under a pen name? I found that once I was open about my writing with my peers, I felt happier because I was being the most authentic version of myself. And to my surprise, many other lawyers confided in me about their own desires to explore interests outside the law.
You don’t have to forego your legal career entirely in the name of pursuing a passion if you’re not comfortable doing so. In fact, the more I learned about writing and the media industry, the more I began to appreciate my career as an attorney and the life it’s afforded me. I realized that I loved to write, but not enough to give up my practice or my paycheck. And that’s okay. You can do both.