What emerged from that decision is newly sober, a newsletter that captures what’s missing from most recovery literature: the messy, uncertain, gut-wrenching first year as it’s actually happening. No polish. No retrospective wisdom. Just the raw truth of early recovery, written in all lowercase letters because, as Paulina says, “I know very little. I am no saint.”
But here’s what makes Paulina’s journey particularly relevant for creative professionals: she discovered that the energy she’d been pouring into managing addiction—the mental gymnastics of when to text, when to hide, when to perform—became fuel for her creative life once she got sober. Her writing went from labored to flow. Her spiritual life and creative life merged into one practice. And the distortion between who she thought she was and how she showed up in the world finally dissolved.
Show Notes
[04:15] The Consent Book She Didn’t Consent To
Co-authored It Doesn’t Have to Be Awkward with her father, Dr. Drew, while deeply resentful about the project
The book’s central framework (TCB: Trust, Compassion, Boundaries) became the tool that extracted her from addiction
Through promoting the book, she had to stop smoking weed 24/7 to show up clear-minded—the first crack in her addiction
The book is now banned in several states and has become a resource she’s genuinely proud of
Key insight: Sometimes the work we resist most becomes the medicine we need most.
[07:00] Rock Bottom in an Alabama Gas Station
Three-day road trip to New Orleans turned crisis when her ex-fiancé went into weed-induced psychosis
The TCB framework suddenly became visible: “He’s not showing me compassion... He’s not respecting my boundaries... I don’t trust him”
Panic attack at a gas station, flew home the next day, attended first recovery meeting on Christmas Eve
Found herself in her parents’ garage, slamming her hands on the car hood because they didn’t say goodbye
Key insight: Rock bottom looks different for everyone, and Paulina challenges the “high bottom” narrative—hers was devastating, even without losing teeth or a job.
[12:48] The Distortion of Addiction
“Addiction was a distortion between who I thought I was and how the world saw me”
Started newly sober at 70 days sober because she needed a task and couldn’t sit with herself
Committed to “becoming in public” as an artist—working it out in real time rather than waiting for polish
After almost four years: “Who I think I am is aligned with how I show up”
Key insight: The mental energy spent managing addiction (deciding who to text while high, hiding, performing) disappears in sobriety—and suddenly you have surplus energy for creation.
[17:51] The Marijuana Misinformation Campaign
In the 90s, a joint had 3.4% THC; today’s products start at 13%
Former tobacco lobbyists ran the marijuana legalization campaigns with messaging like “it’s not addictive” and “it enhances creativity”
Witnessed three people in her close circle go into weed-induced psychosis during her first year of sobriety
People quietly reach out saying they experienced voices or paranoia, ashamed it “didn’t work for them”
Key insight: The cultural acceptance of marijuana as harmless creates shame for those who struggle with it—Paulina had to defend her own lived experience against the narrative “weed isn’t addictive.”
[25:22] The Artist’s Way as Spiritual Practice
Has led people through The Artist’s Way since 2020; starting her 10th cohort in January 2025
Graduate school at Columbia taught her craft but not how to sustain an artistic practice or identity
Core belief: “Creativity is our divine right—if you write, you’re a writer. Period.”
Morning pages (3 pages stream of consciousness) and weekly artist dates are non-negotiable practices
Key insight: The trampoline park over the feminist panel—prioritizing what your inner child actually wants, not what sounds impressive.
[32:30] Writing as Divine Channel
Ice skating at age five was her first experience of flow—brain goes quiet, existing and not existing simultaneously
Writing became her quickest conduit to the divine: “I forget myself and I start speaking the truth”
Voice = personality (Victor LaValle): “My own voice is just the truest distillation of self”
Currently working on book proposal Showpony: Dismantling an Inheritance (submitted to agents this week)
Key insight: Constantly has essays “percolating”—downloads that need to be channeled—and with practice, she can sit down and just do it without the “I don’t know” paralysis.
[36:00] Recovery, Creativity, and Spirit as One
“My recovery and my creativity are both intertwined... my creative life and my spiritual life are the same”
If recovery life isn’t aligned, creative life suffers; if creative life isn’t aligned, recovery suffers
Cultural messaging like “write drunk, edit sober” is destructive—Paulina never wrote while using (”all the barf on the keys”)
As “Barflina,” there was no sitting down to write—just excess and blackouts
Key insight: Who she is as an artist is “so much more potent” now that she’s sober—no distortion, no hiding, just alignment between inner truth and outer expression.
[38:18] Teaching Consent Beyond the Bedroom
It Doesn’t Have to Be Awkward doesn’t discuss sex until chapter 10
Instead, it runs TCB (trust, compassion, boundaries) through every relationship: friends, teachers, peers, family
Parents use the audiobook (narrated by Paulina and Dr. Drew) in the car to facilitate conversations naturally
Banned in conservative states because it gives kids agency to think through their own boundaries
Key insight: Teaching consent isn’t about sex—it’s about helping young people understand who deserves their trust and what compassion actually means.
Key Quotes
“Addiction was a distortion between who I thought I was and how the world saw me. Who I think I am is aligned with how I show up now.” - Paulina Pinsky
“You don’t realize how much energy mental gymnastics takes until it’s gone. All this energy that goes into facilitating a full-blown addiction is gone, and all of a sudden you have this surplus of energy for other things.” - Paulina Pinsky
“My creativity doesn’t feel so labored anymore. I just sit down and do it. Who I am as an artist is so much more potent now that I’m sober.” - Paulina Pinsky
“Creativity is our divine right. If you write, you’re a writer. There’s no other prerequisite for it.” - Paulina Pinsky
“My recovery and my creativity are both intertwined... my creative life and my spiritual life are the same. And my recovery and my spiritual life are the same.” - Paulina Pinsky
Resources Mentioned
Books:
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron - 12-week spiritual workbook for unblocking creativity
It Doesn’t Have to Be Awkward: Dealing with Relationships, Consent, and Other Hard-to-Talk-About Stuff by Paulina Pinsky & Dr. Drew Pinsky
The Body in Pain by Elaine Scarry - “To experience pain is to know it, but to experience it in others is to doubt it”
Concepts:
Morning Pages - 3 pages of stream-of-consciousness writing each morning
Artist Dates - Weekly solo outings to nurture your inner child/creative self
TCB Framework - Trust, Compassion, Boundaries (applied to all relationships, not just romantic)
Upcoming:
Showpony: Dismantling an Inheritance - Paulina’s book proposal currently with agents
Where to Find Paulina
Newsletters:
Social Media:
Instagram: @paulina_pinsky
TikTok: @paulinaplease
Website & Courses:
The Artist’s Way 12-week cohort starting January 2025
Your Creative Life Is Waiting
If Paulina’s story resonates with you—if you’ve been wondering whether the substance you thought enhanced your creativity might actually be blocking it—you’re not alone. The mental gymnastics of managing drinking or using takes enormous energy. Energy that could fuel your greatest creative work.
The Sober Creative Method™ is a 90-day journey designed specifically for creative professionals ready to remove alcohol as the barrier to their breakthrough work. This isn’t about willpower or deprivation—it’s about discovering what becomes possible when you stop numbing yourself and start channeling that energy into your art, your business, your life’s work.
The distortion Paulina describes—between who you think you are and how you show up—doesn’t have to be permanent. Alignment is possible. Potent creativity is possible. And it starts with getting curious about what sobriety could unlock.
💬 Curious about your next step? If you’re sensing that something’s holding you back, but you’re not sure what—reach out. Coaching, community, or clarity—it all starts with a conversation. Like Paulina says, sometimes the work we resist most becomes the medicine we need most.
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to
, , and many others for joining us and to for her extraordinary honesty, humor, and wisdom in this conversation. Your willingness to document early recovery in real time—lowercase letters and all—creates permission for others to be messy, uncertain, and authentic on their own journeys.What’s Next
The Sober Creative is more than a newsletter—it’s a movement of professionals reclaiming their creativity by choosing clarity over coping.
🎯 Take the Clarity Quiz: This assessment reveals certain patterns where alcohol may be the exact thing that is quietly sabotaging your creative potential. It’s free and only takes a few minutes.
✍️ Read the Essays: Stories and strategies for building a clear, creative, and intentional life.
🎙️ Join Clear Conversations: Honest talks with creative professionals navigating the intersection of sobriety, self-discovery, and breakthrough work.
💬 Curious about your next step? If you’re sensing that something’s holding you back, but you’re not sure what—reach out. Coaching, community, or clarity—it all starts with a conversation.
✨ The Sober Creative Method™ is a 90-day journey to remove alcohol as the barrier to your greatest work.
Each step forward is an act of becoming who you’re meant to be.
Thanks for walking this path with me.
Josh
P.S. Missed previous episodes? Browse the Clear Conversations archive to explore more conversations with creative minds in sobriety.
