"So, what do you do?"

The dreaded question when you've just broken away

“So, what do you do?”

This question alone has turned into a journey since I decided to break away from a corporate career.

For the first six months, I just went: "Oh, I’m on a sabbatical."

By the first year, it shifted to "I’m on a writing break."

Cue the inevitable follow-up: "Oh? What do you write?"

I'd be caught in an existential spiral, mumbling, “A newsletter…” as if it needed an apology. I love it—it’s hours of thinking and crafting. But somehow, saying it out loud felt like… that’s it?

I tried saying, "I’m working on things I enjoy while finding ways to pay the bills."

Too much of a mouthful and also 🤮.

The truthful answer would be: I’m designing a life.

My goal is clear: freedom from corporate life while still finding sources of financial and intellectual fulfilment. The path is less clear. Career is just one part of it and is increasingly mixed-up with all the other things.

I am no longer sure whether the question “What do you do?” is meant to talk about all the interesting things…