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Creative Sobriety

Kristen Bear

Crushing the stigma of sobriety through conversations with cool, creative, sober people. Advice for the newly sober or those struggling with addiction. Connect with other sober creatives and find support on your sobriety journey. Hosted by Tennessee native, Kristen Bear. Follow @creativesobriety on Instagram and please take a moment to download and share the podcast! Thanks for listening, onward we go.

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August 10 · 34 min
Episode 66: Sober Summer Check-In, Dental Tourism, Wine O'Clock, and Lying Oncologists
Hey Y'all! Solo episode today and we are talking about why mid summer is a great time for taking inventory. How has the summer been playing out for you? How are you interacting with alcohol? Have you maintained your sobriety or felt especially challenged the past couple of months? Also, I'm going to Mexico soon but not for the beach vacation I truly need. I'm going to the dentist. Sharing all the details of my upcoming trip to Molar City. Stat News published an explosive article about corruption at the intersection of the alcohol industry, public health, and our government and no one is talking about it. So, I am. Tap in!! Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
July 23 · 51 min
Episode 65: Debut Memoirist Lu Chekowsky and the Illusions of Advertising
Today, author of Don't Buy What I'm Selling: On Breaking Up with Advertising and Finally Learning To Love My Whole, Fat Self, Lu Chekowsky, joins the show for a discussion about the illusions of the advertising industry. Chekowsky is a writer and Emmy Award-winning creative director. She was most recently lead creative director for video at Facebook. Previously, they were the SVP of brand creative at Comedy Central, and VP, creative director at MTV. Before working in entertainment, Lu was a creative director and copywriter at Wieden+Kennedy. Don't Buy What I'm Selling was published this summer by Little Brown. Lu lives in the Hudson Valley. Follow Lu on Tiktok + Instagram + Substack Read Lu's essay for Open Secrets Pinch More Than An Inch Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
June 25 · 50 min
Episode 64: The Power of Storytelling, Sisterhood, and Art in Sobriety w/ Author Kerri Maher
Kerri Maher is the USA Today bestselling author of Summer of Love, All You Have to Do Is Call, The Paris Bookseller, The Girl in White Gloves, The Kennedy Debutante, and, under the name Kerri Majors, This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy suburb west of Boston, Massachusetts. She was born and raised in California. Kerri and I discuss her personal sobriety journey, the power of storytelling and creativity in sobriety, and why every aspiring writer's mantra should be "Just keep swimming," a la Finding Nemo. To secure a signed copy of Summer of Love or any of Kerri's books, shop at Wellesley Books! Kerri's website: https://www.kerrimaher.com/ Kerri's Substack: https://kerrimaher.substack.com/ Kerri's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerrimaherwriter/ Kerr's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerrimaherwriter/ Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
June 11 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 63: Anti-Aging and Beauty Standards + Sobriety w/ NA founder Stephanie Styll
Today I'm speaking with my friend and Killjoy Non-Alcoholic Bottle Shop founder, Stephanie Styll about beauty standards and why we need more honesty and open discussion in the conversation around anti-aging. I wrote piece for Substack last week titled, Aging Through the Lens of My Sobriety, and the response has been so encouraging and also illuminating. Women are really reaching their breaking point when it comes to unrealistic beauty standards. I had been speaking privately with Stephanie about the subject and asked if she wanted to bring the convo to the podcast. Luckily, she was stoked to do it! We both share the pressures we've felt over the years to participate in anti-aging culture and what it's like to be in our forties and trying to find the balance between looking and feeling our best and rejecting the patriarchal/capitalistic/oppressive demands on women to remain looking 25 forever. We don't have all the answers!! This discussion is not a judgement on anyone for anything they choose to do to feel their best, it's just an honest chat between girlfriends about how exhausting it is to be a woman. Steph and I are hosting some fun events at Killjoy this summer. Join us for the Summer Author Series where I'll interview a sober author each month about their current book, we will sip on NA cocktails from Curious Elixirs, and chat as a community about themes of sobriety, creativity, womanhood, sexuality, identity, love and relationships, mental health and so much more. Get your tix here! Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
May 19 · 1 hr 16 min
Episode 62: Jessica Guerrieri (@jessicaguerrieriauthor)
Hey y'all! I'm so thrilled to have author Jessica Guerrieri back on the podcast! She's back to discuss her brand new novel, Both Can Be True (Harper Muse), available 5/19/26! She is an award winning novelist and essayist, winner of the 2023 Maurice Prize for Fiction, and a proud sober mom of three with over a decade of sobriety. Her essays have appeared in People, HuffPost, Writer's Digest, and she is a frequent voice in the sobriety and mental health communities. Jessica lives in Davis, California with her family. For those listeners near Nashville, TN, Jessica will be joining me at Killjoy in East Nashville on July 25th to discuss her work and sign copies of her books! Tickets are available now and include non-alcoholic beverages courtesy of Curious Elixirs. Buy BOTH CAN BE TRUE Buy BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA Join us in July at Killjoy for the book event Let's support sober artist's work and celebrate the healing power of creativity. Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
April 29 · 49 min
Episode 61: Mary Alice Stephens (@maryalicestephenswrites)
Hey y'all! Welcome back. In this episode I'm chatting with author Mary Alice Stephens about her sobriety journey and her memoir, Uncorked: A Memoir of Letting Go and Starting Over. Mary is an award-winning storyteller who shares her raw, funny, and ultimately inspiring journey from alcohol-fueled chaos to clarity, connection, and self-acceptance. Uncorked was an Amazon #1 new release in alcoholism recovery, reached #4 on the Amazon bestseller list in midlife self-help, and won a PenCraft Best Book Award for Inspirational Nonfiction. Mary is a former television writer and producer for HGTV, Food Network, and other media outlets. She earned her MFA in creative writing from Dominican University of California and lives in Marin County, CA. Get a copy of Uncorked today and be sure to leave Mary a review!! Follow Mary on IG @maryalicestephenswrites Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
April 23 · 38 min
Episode 60: Sober Summer Tips, Asking the Right Questions & More w/Kristen (@creativesobriety)
Hey Y'all! In this episode I'm dishing out a few of my top tips for beginning a sober summer. From purging our space to honoring our commitment with a proper ritual, there are absolutely ways to set ourselves up for success and flow when it comes to giving up booze just as patio season is kicking into full gear. Quitting drinking doesn't have to feel like a consequence or downgrade. It's all in our mindset, how we approach the shift, and who we surround ourselves with. If you are looking for a more structured guide and resonate with my language and sober vibe, may I suggest The Creative Sobriety Method--It's available on Substack for paid subscribers--a four-part series with video and text content plus journal prompts and workshop style questions following each section. Look out for a special Substack post next week all about prepping for a summer sans alcohol. Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
April 15 · 46 min
Episode 59: Patricia Heaton and David Hunt (@solubrae)
Hey y'all! I'm joined today by Emmy Award-winning actress and producer Patricia Heaton and award-winning filmmaker, David Hunt. Talk about a power couple. Patricia is best known for her roles in Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle. Over a career spanning more than 25 years, she's earned multiple awards and nominations and is also a bestselling author and philanthropist. David Hunt's work spans theater, television and film. A graduate of The Julliard School, Hunt has collaborated with directors including Clint Eastwood and Stanley Kubrick. He most recently directed and produced the feature film Unexpected. Together they've just launched Solubrae, a premium non-alcoholic wine hand crafted from California-grown grapes and designed for modern, mindful living. Heaton, who will celebrate eight years of sobriety in July, says, "Solubrae is about inclusion. No one should feel left out of a toast." This conversation was a dream! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Go get yourself a bottle of Solubrae today! I tried both the Daylight and Sundown varietals at a Killjoy tasting in Nashville and was blown away. Onward we go! Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
April 9 · 52 min
Episode 58: Ash Meredith and Why Alcohol and Fitness Don't Mix (@ashmeredith11)
Hey y'all! I'm chatting with fitness and wellness creator Ash Meredith about her alcohol-free journey and why alcohol and fitness do not belong in the same conversation. We discuss everything from alcohol's impact on sleep and relationships to the way it prevents fat loss and erases our hard work in the gym. Ash and I both share a history with disordered eating and have an honest chat about the ways alcohol played a pivotal role in those struggles as well as how sobriety has helped us find balance and peace around food. If you are someone who is curious about how eliminating alcohol completely might aid in your fitness journey, someone who has dealt with an eating disorder, or just someone who needs some inspiration on a new sobriety or wellness journey, then this episode is for you! Follow Ash on IG @ashmeredith11 for daily workout inspiration and nutrition content that feels more nourishing than restrictive. Check out more of her offerings here! Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
March 25 · 43 min
Episode 57: Richard O'Brien (@giesenwines)
Hey Y'all! Welcome back! I'm happy to bring you a conversation with Richard O'Brien, General Manager of Giesen Group which is one of New Zealand's leading family-owned wineries and a global leader in premium non-alcoholic wine. Since joining the company in 2015, Richard has held senior roles across finance and commercial strategy, playing a pivotal role in Giesen's growth in both traditional and emerging wine categories. He leads the company's global sales and marketing efforts, with a strong focus on the U.S.--Giesen's number one export market. I was eager to chat with Richard about how Giesen had the foresight to enter the NA market before so many others and why he thinks there is mass resistance among traditional winemakers to innovating and joining the non-alcoholic category. He shares a bit about the dealcoholization process, what's next for Giesen's NA portfolio, and where he sees the NA market headed in 2026. I hope you enjoy this conversation! Check out the full Giesen lineup Follow Giesen Wines on IG @giesenwines Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
March 18 · 1 hr 4 min
Episode 56: Carly Schwartz (@carlicita)
Hey y'all! I'm so excited to have writer Carly Schwartz on the show today. Carly is the former editor in chief of the San Francisco Examiner and founding editor of HuffPost's San Francisco bureau. Editor and Publisher named her one of 10 "Women to Watch," and her writing has appeared in the San Francisco Standard, ELLE Magazine, MSNBC, and more. As an advocate for suicide prevention and addiction recovery, Carly has been a spokesperson for the Jed Foundation and Google's Recovery Month. She's also the founder of Mindwriters, a workshop series designed to help people transform their lives through storytelling. She lives in San Francisco's Mission District. Pick up a copy of Carly Schwartz's debut memoir, I'll Try Anything Twice: Misadventures of A Self Medicated Life, out now from She Writes Press and available wherever books are sold. Buy Carly's book from Bookshop.org and support local bookstores! Follow Carly on IG @carlicita Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
March 5 · 46 min
Episode 55: Kathryn Sauser (@kathrynsauser @thesoberfitgirl)
Hey y'all! Welcome back! I'm excited to have Kathryn Sauser on the show today. Kathryn is over five years sober and has more than a decade of experience as a fitness, nutrition, and mental health coach. She's helped thousands of women transform their bodies, but everything changed for her after getting sober. She created SoberFitGirl because it was everything she needed and couldn't find. Visit soberfitgirl.com to work with Kathryn! Check out The Sober Fit Girl Podcast Connect with Kathryn on socials @kathrynsauser and @thesoberfitgirl Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
February 19 · 31 min
Episode 54: New Year Starts Now, Big Alcohol Hates Dry January, and Diddy and Epstein Both Have DIageo Ties
Hey y'all! Welcome back to another solo episode with me, Kristen, today! I'm catching up on everything that's gone down so far in 2026 when it comes to booze and it's a lot. I'm talking about Dry January, the new alcohol guidelines from the clowns at HHS, the Year of the Fire Horse, Jeffrey Epstein, Sean "Diddy Combs, and Diageo's ties to all things dirty business. I'm even giving my review of Emerald Fennel's "Wuthering Heights." Strap in!! Check out the full article about all the Diageo/Epstein ties on Substack here Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
February 4 · 51 min
Episode 53: Sara Hershkowitz and Max Hoetzel (@glasrosefarm)
Hey y'all! I'm so excited to bring you the first new episode of 2026! I've got Sara and Max on the show today, founders of Glasrose Farm. The American opera singer and German-born wine maker are raising their daughter on an organic vineyard filled with live oaks and herds of grazing sheep. Sharing a deep love for the land and a commitment to mindful living, the vineyard is not just their home but a testament to their creativity and commitment to sustainability. After a Dry January turned February and beyond, Max decided he wanted to make something new. The couple has been developing a beautiful zero proof beverage made from organic verjus from their vineyard and exciting and unexpected ingredients like cardamom, hibiscus, and black pepper. Check out their offerings! Be sure to follow Sara, Max and their family on IG @glasrosefarm Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
Dec 17, 2025 · 38 min
Episode 52: Jermaine Dante' Burse (@jermainedante_art)
Hey y'all! I'm so pleased to introduce you to Jermaine Dante' Burse today. He is an author and critically acclaimed visual fine artist whose life embodies radical transformation. Once consumed by addiction, Jermaine rebuilt himself through discipline, honesty, and an unwavering devotion to creative expression. His fine art, known for its emotional depth and bold storytelling, has been commissioned by major recognizable brands and collected by professional athletes, entertainers, and celebrities around the world. His debut book, Autopsy of My Former Self, captures the profound inner excavation that led to his personal rebirth, offering a powerful reflection on recover, identity, and the courage required to evolve. Beyond the canvas and page, Jermaine channels his creativity into meaningful ventures and experiences that inspire others to confront their truth and rise. His story is not just about overcoming--it's about becoming. Follow Jermaine Dante' on IG @jermainedante_art Purchase his book, Autopsy of My Former Self Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
Dec 16, 2025 · 31 min
Episode 51: The European Union Is Bailing Out Their Wine Industry, Should We? w/Kristen (@creativesobriety)
Hey y'all! I'm back with another solo episode, a follow up to my most recent Substack piece about a potential wine bailout in the US that reflects how the EU is approaching their struggling wine industry. In this episode I go through some key points of the EU's agreement including incentives for no and low alcohol production. I also take a fun little detour through some of the wine industry's more notable scandals in recent history including Austria's antifreeze moment in 1985, a Napa CEO's midnight heist, and a "Catch Me If You Can" con-man that swindled rich wine snobs out of over $35 million dollars before he was caught. It's a fun one. My opinion is that the wine industry needs more than cashflow, they need an attitude adjustment. We have reached sink or swim season for wine--swim towards innovation or sink with tradition. Grab your popcorn! Here's an article about the EU bailout A fun read in Los Angeles Magazine about Rudy Kurniawan Be sure to catch up on my Substack posts on all of this! Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
Dec 10, 2025 · 50 min
Episode 50: Inga Headland Seppala (@thelandlineshow)
Hey y'all! So excited to introduce you to Inga Headland Seppala today! Besides being an all-around cool sober chick, Inga is a creative director, writer, and the creator of Landline, a lo-fi call-in show about connection and second chances. After more than a decade designing pitch decks for studios like Netflix, HBO, and Apple, she now helps writers clarify their stories through her app, The Perfect Pitch Deck. Inga got sober in her 40's and draws on recovery, humor, and faith in all of her creative projects. I think all creative artists would benefit from Inga's app, The Perfect Pitch Deck, regardless of medium. Check it out! Tune into The Landline Show on YouTube and follow along on IG @thelandlineshow Want to be a caller on Landline?? Call The Landline Show 615-212-5437 Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
Dec 3, 2025 · 21 min
Episode 49: The Alcohol Industry Doesn't Like Curiosity w/Kristen (@creativesobriety)
Hey y'all! Back at you with another solo episode today. I'm offering some context to help the alcohol industry understand why people aren't drinking as much (spoiler alert: it's not because we are Victorian moralists who want to ruin everyone's party). I go through a quick recap of how we got here, what tactics the industry is using to discredit the modern sobriety movement, and the support I've been receiving from sober people who have different methods and practices from me. Curiosity killed the cat. It's also killing the industry's bottom line. That's that sh!t they don't like. Tap in! Be sure to stay up to date via Substack. Link below. Onward we go! Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
Nov 25, 2025 · 22 min
Episode 48: The Self Magazine Article Debacle w/ Kristen (@creativesobriety)
Hey y'all! Welp. Can't let this one go. I'm diving deeper into the meltdown over the Self Magazine article from Ronnie Koenig, titled, "Can People Stop Being So Sanctimonious About Not Drinking?" I already wrote a lengthy response to the piece over on Substack so please go check that out and share it!! I had some new information come my way, specifically about some of Koenig's previous work that feels relevant. I wanted to share that with you today as well as some other verbiage connections I've noticed between the Self article and rhetoric coming out from the wine industry. The Self Article My Substack Piece Another Substack Piece that's relevant Koenig's Flow Space article The Times piece about drinking in youth Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co
Nov 19, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
Episode 47: Will Abeles (@willabelescomedy)
Hey y'all! I'm excited to have Will Abeles on the show this week. Will is a nationally touring producer, comedian, and podcaster based in Nashville, TN. He has captured the #1 spot on the iTunes Comedy Charts twice with back to back albums, his 2017 debut, "Regrets of My Father," and his most recent release, "The Pride of Hagerstown." His special, "The Pride of Hagerstown," is out now on YouTube through FourbyThree Productions. Will shares his sobriety journey and is just over three months sober at the time of our recording. His story is a lot like everyone's in the sense that it's been full of starts and stops and now he finds himself looking ahead with a new mindset and some of the missing pieces he needed to stay the course. Check out one of Will's upcoming shows or find his work below! Wesley Chapel, FL Nov 20-22, 2025 The Pride of Hagerstown Comedy Special Will's YouTube Channel Follow on socials @willabelescomedy Connect with me on IG @creativesobriety and please follow along and subscribe to my Substack newsletter www.kristenbear.substack.com where you will also find The Creative Sobriety Method video workshop series! Stay up to date with all upcoming events and offerings www.creativesobriety.co

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