In Their Own Skin: "L"
WELCOME TO THE “IN THEIR OWN SKIN” SERIES.
One of the biggest honors of my job as a boudoir photographer is hearing the stories clients share with me. While these stories are not mine to share on a public platform, I hold them close in my heart. They bring me inspiration, strength, and light in a way that only true humanity and vulnerability can.
I created the “In Their Own Skin” series to share some of these stories with you. The “In Their Own Skin” participants graciously consented to share their stories (told in their own words) alongside their boudoir pictures. My sincere hope is that these stories and pictures will bring you moments of strength, uplift your soul, and encourage you to keep moving forward, especially as we navigate these challenging times.
Today I am so excited to introduce “L,” the next participant in the “In Their Own Skin” series! “L” shares openly about the journey she took before arriving at her law career. Her compassion and deep commitment to helping others is really present throughout her story. Here are her words.
“My name is “L.” I'm 28 years old and from the western suburbs of Minneapolis. I just graduated from law school, took the bar, and am about to embark on the beginning of my legal career.
“I went to undergrad in New York and law school in Boston and, in between, I spent three years working in Minneapolis and finding myself. I dabbled in music, in photography, and in a job that I wasn't passionate about but that paid the bills. I'm glad I tried all three. I'm the type of person who needs to try something in order to know it's not for me, otherwise I always wonder.
“I'm an extremely creative person; my mother is an artist and an avid reader, and I grew up with the ethos that your mind and your creativity are the greatest things you can hone throughout your life. In undergrad, I majored in political science with the idea that maybe it would turn into a sensible career one day, but I also dabbled in cinematography, photography, and music.”
“After college, I wondered whether a creative career was my true calling, so I moved back to Minneapolis, took a few music production classes, met a lot of amazing people in the Minneapolis music scene, and discovered definitively that I was not, in fact, cut out for a career in music.
“That stemmed into a side hustle as a photographer when many of my musician friends needed professional photos, and I naturally gravitated behind the camera. I learned a ton and created images that I'm still proud of, but again the creative life didn't suit me. I needed more structure and I hated charging people money and putting a price on my creativity. My day job was nothing I had any interest in and was simply a means of paying my bills every month. I ended up having a quarter life crisis of sorts, wondering: "Is this it?"
“This led me to re-evaluate my goals, my biggest dreams, and what I could offer to the world. I realized that a day job I didn't care about would suck my soul dry, that creativity was a passion but not one I wanted to put a price tag on, and that my love for learning and analytic problem solving, coupled with my desire to be useful to people and to have a career that I loved and that could grow with me, would translate perfectly into becoming a lawyer.”
“Deciding to go to law school is a terrifying step. You have to accept that you'll likely go into thousands of dollars of debt, that you'll have to work harder than you've ever worked before, and that success is not guaranteed in a profession populated exclusively by honors students and perfectionists. I decided to do it anyway.
“And what kept me going for three years through law school and the bar, and what has made me so excited and passionate about being a lawyer today, was in part the fear of the alternative. What happens if I don't go to law school? I end up back at a job I don't care about? Me, a Capricorn, who wants nothing more than a ladder to climb and goals to work towards?? But what also kept me going was the understanding that the law is supremely inaccessible, that I am extremely privileged to have the funding, stability, education, and intelligence to access law school and to become a lawyer, and that now, more than ever, access to the law and, more importantly, access to justice (because the two are not the same) are paramount to protecting those amongst us who are most at risk.
“My experience applying for and attending law school as well as working in the legal industry only confirmed the idea that the legal field is inaccessible and that the law is, in part, made to be indecipherable for the sole reason of keeping those who do not have access to legal education from being able to access the law when they need it most. It is through this seemingly haphazard background that I have forged what has turned out to be a very logical next step in my career: this fall, I am starting my first big girl law job at a prominent Minneapolis firm working as an intellectual property attorney. I'll be assisting clients with their trademarks and copyrights, the elements of law that allow people to protect their creativity from infringement and theft.”
“I am also passionate about innovation in the law especially around information privacy. I hope to translate this interest into a robust pro bono practice (that is, providing legal representation free of charge, which luckily many large firms encourage their attorneys to do) that focuses on representing victims of internet-based privacy violations (think: revenge porn and doxxing). Much of intellectual property infringement occurs on the internet in the same ways that privacy violations, revenge porn, doxxing, and stalking occur, so I'll be able to use the skills I am learning in my practice to assist my pro bono clients in their fight against predators on the internet.
“Additionally, I have just launched a YouTube channel -- I’m a lawyer on a mission to make the law more accessible. I'll be making videos about current events and pop culture that explain the legal aspects of the world in a way that I hope will be entertaining and accessible. Again, this all connects back to my big "why." In order to surmount impossible tasks, the "why" behind it all is usually the most compelling force. By focusing on my own privilege and on the stark inaccessibility of the legal field, I have forged a career I am supremely enthusiastic about, and I have created even bigger dreams for myself and for my community, all in an effort to do my part to make sure justice really is accessible for all.”
“Through all of this big dreaming and goal setting, my connection to my body often takes the back burner. As a lawyer, your mind is your most important asset and is often the only part of the body that is honed and valued.
“In part, this has been empowering. My career, my goals, and building my skills as an advocate are so much more important to me than whether or not my body fits societal ideals of beauty, and I simply do not have the time or energy to give a shit about whether or not I have a flat stomach. However, it also means that taking the time to be in my body, to feel connected to it, to enjoy it, and to care for it, is usually not a priority.
“As a new lawyer, it is a balance I have yet to strike, but I hope to get there one day. For now, at least, these photos are a commemoration of the body that has gotten me through so much and continues to serve me as I work towards my dreams.”
“L,” thank you so much for trusting me with your boudoir portraits! Your determination and hard work to find a career that both fulfills you and serves others is so inspiring to me. Thank you for speaking so openly about your journey to practicing law and about how you’re learning to balance your career with taking care of your body! You are such an incredible force for good in this world, and I am really grateful that we got to create this art together.