Out of the Office Series: Artisan Edition
By Dawn Blagrove, Anne Keyworth and Preetha Rini
Dawn Blagrove
Where do you work and what is your job title?
I work at Emancipate NC and am the Executive Director.
What type of law do you practice?
Criminal, Civil Rights, and Social Justice
What do you enjoy doing out of the office?
Painting
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by Black joy and liberation.
How did you begin doing this or get interested in this activity?
I stumbled upon this when my husband and I became empty nesters.
How do you make space in your life for this interest or activity?
I try to paint every night before bed. Or, if my mind is churning and I need to disconnect, I paint.
How does this interest or activity benefit your mental health?
The satisfaction of completing something, creating something, is powerful. In social justice work, there is never a finish line. It’s cathartic to start and complete something beautiful in one sitting. Also, painting helps me quiet my mind from the work of the day. Not sure how I got to sleep before I started painting.
Anne Keyworth
Where do you work and what is your job title?
I work at Howard Stallings Law Firm as a Civil Litigation Associate.
What type of law do you practice?
Civil Litigation
What do you enjoy doing out of the office?
Wood burning and resin jewelry-making
What inspires you?
Adventure, challenge, and trying new things.
How do you make space in your life for this interest or activity?
It’s not always easy and my ability to do much outside of work ebbs and flows. I work very hard to make time for the things I choose to prioritize in my life. Wood burning is a priority at times and just isn’t when work and personal commitments are more time consuming. My craft brings me joy, though, so even when I don’t have orders to complete, I often find myself making things for people just because I think they’d like it. I also try to make sure and balance the joy of the hobby with the business of it. Sometimes, if you turn a hobby into a job, it takes the joy out of it.
How does this interest or activity benefit your work as a lawyer?
It’s a huge point of connection for other people in my workspace. I recently taught a wood burning class at my law firm and people raved about it. Lots of other lawyers also solicit me to make gifts for people, too. I think that doing something so removed from law grounds me and helps me balance my energy, as well.
Preetha Rini
Where do you work and what is your job title?
I am an attorney at Robinson Bradshaw, as a litigator.
What type of law do you practice?
Most of my work involves complex commercial litigation and appeals.
What do you enjoy doing out of the office?
I have a small business, Prints By Preetha, that I founded with my husband. I draw black and white, pen-and-ink prints using words to fill the space of the print.
How did you begin doing this or get interested in this activity?
When I was in law school, I began doodling these prints as a way to have a creative outlet. After leaving law school, I continued to doodle and eventually, my husband and I turned this pastime into a full-blown business.
How does this interest or activity benefit your work as a lawyer?
Being a small business owner and amateur artist help me understand the plights of local business and artists. I’ve had to navigate licensing agreements, copyright issues, and vendor assignments. In my law life, I enjoy learning more about the First Amendment, as well as copyright/trademark cases, because much of that law impacts the rights of artists, like me.