In our work, every action we take is an act of self-expression. The way we act at work reflects aspects of who we are in that environment. When we are dissatisfied with our practice of law, we are really unhappy with our self-expression at work. It's either more muted than we want it to be, or louder or harsher or flatter. But we cannot argue that a particular behavior or action is not really us. It isn't anybody else. Though the demands of work may overwhelm how we would like to behave, the way we act is still our behavior.

Our responses, for the most part, are predictable. We respond to the demands in front of us because they are loud and urgent, and let our private lives slide. If we modify our responses and include time for creative expression within the mix of our activities, that ingredient becomes part of our behavior. When our behavior includes time for creativity, all the other elements of our behavior are affected, just as they are affected by its absence. Making time for our creativity modulates behavior both at home and at work.

Learned behavior can be changed, but the change needs to be triggered either by adding a new ingredient to the mix or by taking an old one away. The demands at work foster certain patterns of behavior that affect our creativity in three ways:

• First, the amount of time devoted to work impacts hours that might otherwise be spent with the Muse.


• Second, the work environment dances with our shadow side and supports a darker behavior that leaks into other parts of our lives.


• And third, practicing law "full out" too often leaves us exhausted and empty.

When we make space for our creativity, we are making space for our passions. Who would not be tempted to balance the pressures and demands of practicing law with moments of passion that creativity can bring forth? And yet somehow, somewhere, we fail to allow such dreams into our consciousness. We allow our minds to dominate our hearts. By withholding our dreams, we limit our ability to embrace life.

Of course we have a choice. We can choose to include creativity as a core element of our behavior and allow ourselves to connect with something beyond our daily routine. Creativity has within its makeup the ability to let us feel inspired-a sacred breathing in of God. Making that choice is not just striking out in a new direction. It's reaching back to a time when being creative was a part of our lives, and bringing that time into the present moment.

My thesis is that overwork keeps at bay other forms of creative expression important to us. I would like to explore through an exercise whether that experience is also your experience.