The Creative Sober

Episode Summary:

We chat with Bonnie Rue, a talented artist and creative director at Austin's Original Apothecary. Bonnie shares her inspiring recovery journey and how sobriety has fueled her creativity. We discuss the power of nutrition and herbs in early recovery, the importance of overcoming perfectionism, and the benefits of mindfulness and kindness in the creative process. We also explore the role of community, holistic wellnes...

We dive deep into the inspiring journey of Kady Rain, a vibrant pop artist from Austin, Texas. Kady shares her personal experiences of surviving an abusive relationship, finding her purpose in music, and embracing sobriety. Her story is a testament to the power of creativity and resilience in overcoming adversity.

*This episode contains discussions of suicide and mental health challenges that some listeners may find triggering. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please seek professional help immediately. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Struggling to balance partying and your art? Could ditching the scene unlock your creative potential? J9 shares their inspiring pre-pandemic sobriety choice, piloting adventures, and music debut "Pleasure & Pain" – a taste of their album "Colt 45." Discover how transformation fuels their '90s-infused sound. Listen now!

In a heartfelt and introspective episode with the remarkable Suki Jones. As a San Francisco Bay Area-based writer, Suki has become synonymous with resilience and literary brilliance, especially with 23 years of sobriety under her belt. This episode places a special spotlight on her memoir, "Sea, Swallow Me," providing listeners with a deep dive into its raw narrative, exploring Suki's tumultuous journey through addict...

From Los Angeles, author Hannah Sward peels back the layers of her journey as a writer. She navigates the turning point of publishing her memoir, "Strip," and the serendipitous alignment of her deeply personal experiences that brought her to this present moment. Sward delves into the wellspring of her creativity, exploring the delicate balance between her thirteen years of sobriety and the success of her book.

Nathan James ("Nate the Dreamer"), is a young Orlando creative, entrepreneur, and founder of Not Your Narrative Apparel. Nathan, a mental health advocate for marginalized communities (and 3.5 years sober!), uses his platform to challenge negative stereotypes and empower others. He believes vulnerability is key to breaking down barriers and helping others.

Alcohol abuse in the music world is not sustainable, and it is possible to sober up and have a successful music career. We learn about Danny Coburn's story of when he found his passion for music at an early age, fell into alcohol abuse at 21 years old, to lose his band and way of life. Danny got a wake-up call on his journey towards deciding to stop drinking, and took early steps in recovery to reach 30 days sober, only to fin...

Producer and DJ are just a couple of Tommie Sunshine's passions that lead his life. Also, count on him being involved in activism, teaching at NYU, being a husband, and sober for the last 16 years! Tommie takes us through some of his journeys as a world-traveling DJ, what convinced him to get sober, and what he is doing to contribute to making a difference for the greater good.

S.C. Jensen is a Canadian fiction writer, sci-fi and horror enthusiast, and literary advocate. She lives with her husband, children, and various fuzzy friends on an acreage in The-Middle-of-Nowhere (a.k.a. Northern Saskatchewan). She spends most of her days crafting stories about ordinary people forced to act in extraordinary situations and is perpetually rooting for the underdog.

Meredith earned her Bachelor’s Degree from ULL in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in English. Her work has been featured in Poets Choice, Anti-Heroin Chic, and the anthology “Storealities.” She is the subject of an Artist's Feature in Hatchlings Publishings.

Laura Silverman has been a booze-free babe since July of 2007. Founder of sober lifestyle blog The Sobriety Collective, wellness travel site Booze-Free in DC, and Zero Proof Nation, a community celebrating nonalcoholic beverages and the people who drink/create them, Laura is passionate about #thesoberlife. When not tasting delicious new booze-free bevs, she's a karaoke rockstar, roller derby girl, nature lover, #mentalhealth ad...

Radio Personality and DJ, Dan Amsden, aka Huggie, thrived on boldness, charisma, and intensity on and off the mic when it came to his radio career of 10 years to DJing as 'TVTV.' To keep up the momentum and party life, he turned to cocaine which eventually led him to rehab. After a year of being clean and sober, Huggie is grounding his creative passions by leaning into music, producing, and keeping an open mind towards what...

Originally from the west coast of Canada, singer and songwriter Michelle Reid blends dark soul-baring honesty in her lyrics with glitchy electronic production and catchy pop melodies. She releases original music under her solo artist project, “Sorcia”, where she also advocates for mental health awareness, specifically in terms of OCD, eating disorder, and alcohol recovery.

Josh James, a career bartender, took a year off drinking to see what would happen. His result was realizing his full potential and reviewing NA Beverages as Josh the Non-Alcoholic on YouTube and Instagram. After creating 30 videos, he walked into a deli establishment that happened to be closing in 1 week. 3 months later and 11 months into being a non-drinker, Josh opened Ocean Beach Cafe to build the largest non-alcoholic beverage ...

Philip Speer is the Chef and Owner of Comedor, an award-winning Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin. Starting his culinary career at 17 as a baker, Philip moved swiftly into esteemed Pastry Chef positions at Austin’s most innovative restaurants.