Greetings Earthlings, at the time of writing this, I have been sober for over 6.5 years. Yay! The reason I wanted to share was that when I was thinking about quitting alcohol, I remember scouring the internet for articles about “being sober as an artist”, “sober painters”, or “how to be sober and still be an artist”. I wanted to know if other artists like me out there who quit drinking and how that affected their lives. So, I am writing this quick blog for my past self, and for any fellow artists out there considering sobriety.
Spoiler alert: quitting alcohol rules. It is by far the best decision I have ever made!
But back then….I had it in my head that in order to be an artist, I also had to be a drinker as if the two activities--making art and drinking--were magically synonymous.
When I was struggling and thinking about finally quitting, I weirdly worried about how it would affect my ability to make art. I rarely painted while intoxicated but I had a pretty solid habit of sketchbook-ing alone in bars, always with a beer and a shot close at hand. I felt that maybe drinking was part of my creative process, part of my identity in a way, like being a drinker and hanging out in bars was cool and edgy, and that I would never have fun again as a non-drinker. I also knew deep down, that drinking was holding me back and having negative repercussions.
Now that I have been sober for 6.5 years, here are the actual realities:
Even the legendary wizard, Haxm Forehand, eventually got sober.
No more hangovers. Painting with a hangover sucks, so does everything else.
I have saved so much money!
I am infinitely more organized in every aspect of my life.
I was worried about my creativity, but there isn’t anything magickal in a pint glass that gives you art ideas. If anything, alcohol makes you less creative. Bonus: my sketchbook pages are way better drawn, more coherent and not covered in beer stains.
Art openings are still awkward, but I never feel hangover anxiety…you know, worrying about what you may have said or done the night before.
While it is true that I rarely go to bars or drinking establishments anymore, I find that I don’t miss them like I thought I would. These days I spend time in coffee shops, the library, and at home working in the studio.
Unfortunately, I don’t go to as many metal shows as I used to. When you are sober, drunk people can be annoying. Oh well.
I didn’t see this coming, but my guitar practice routine has become structured and organized, and I have been having fun making music a part of my life again.
Dating was weird for a time until I started dating another sober person and today I am in the best relationship I have ever been in. My girlfriend and I are currently engaged!
I thought sober vacations or trips would be boring, but I have found them to be more relaxing, interesting, and memorable without the hangovers.
No drama ever!
And on that last note: You indeed lose a bunch of friends when you quit drinking, but I have found that it is okay. Life is about change, right? While I had quite a few bar friends and drinking buddies--as most heavy drinkers do--most of those relationships were superficial and fuzzy at best. Sure, I had some good times with the old bar pals, but I am on a different path now and I wish them well. I have even made some new friends too.
BONUS: As a sober artist I am now much better at channeling aliens.
I could go on and on but I’ll leave it there, and spare you the mushy feelings. I am really happy to be sober and to be a sober artist, and if you are struggling and considering making a positive life change, just know that you won’t regret it. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email or leave me a message.
Thanks for reading and have a cool day!