What happens when you build an entire writing career in sobriety—placing 30+ pieces in major publications while navigating your daughter’s cancer treatment, solo parenting, and financial uncertainty? Elizabeth Austin shows us that the answer isn’t just about what you accomplish, but about who you become in the process.
Our conversation this past week, Elizabeth was 10 days away from her one-year sobriety anniversary, and she’s spent that year doing something remarkable: creating some of her most honest, vulnerable work while life refused to pause. Her essay “Happiness Is A Big, Ugly Sofa” landed in The New York Times Sunday Opinion pages. Her pieces on SNAP benefits, solo parenting, and “being the world’s worst cancer mom” have appeared in TIME, Harper’s Bazaar, McSweeney’s, and beyond. But what struck me most in our conversation wasn’t the impressive publication credits—it was her unflinching honesty about what it takes to show up to difficult material with complete presence when numbing out would be so much easier.
This conversation is about the specific challenges of getting sober in the arts, the discipline required to write while everything feels uncertain, and why community might be the most underrated tool in creative recovery. Elizabeth’s story reminds us that sobriety isn’t about losing your edge—it’s about finding clarity sharp enough to do the work that matters.
Show Notes
[02:04] The Path to Sobriety: From Social Drinking to Intentional Clarity
Elizabeth shares her journey from being a heavy social drinker in millennial party culture to making the decision to get sober during one of the most challenging periods of her life.
Growing up in a culture where sobriety felt like “stale white bread lifestyle”
The escalation from weekend partying to using alcohol as her only escape during her daughter’s cancer treatment
The moment she decided not to bring drinking into her new apartment—along with not bringing cancer
Setting rules for herself (”only on weekends”) as a sign she was losing control
[07:37] The Fear That Keeps Creatives Drinking: Will Sobriety Kill My Voice?
Elizabeth confronts the anxiety every creative faces when considering sobriety: what if alcohol is essential to my work?
The pervasive fear that getting sober means losing your creative edge or becoming “boring”
Why millennial drinking culture made sobriety feel impossible
How the myth that “great artists are tortured and drunk” keeps people stuck
The realization that you can write infinitely into any topic—sobriety doesn’t limit perspective, it expands it
[09:56] Writing Through Crisis: Cancer, COVID, and Creative Survival
What does it take to maintain a creative practice when your daughter is fighting leukemia during a pandemic?
Using writing as a processing tool during the most traumatic period of her life
How small, contained writing projects helped her maintain control when everything felt chaotic
The specific challenge of writing about ongoing trauma while living through it
Why she chose to write publicly about her daughter’s cancer despite the vulnerability
[14:15] The Discipline of Showing Up: Building a Full-Time Writing Career in Sobriety
After losing her job, Elizabeth made the leap to full-time writing—and placed 30+ pieces in 18 months, all written in sobriety.
The mindset shift from “I need to write” to “this is my job now”
How she structures her days to maintain productivity without traditional employment
The role clarity plays in managing rejection and uncertainty
Why she’s grateful to be sober while navigating the ambiguity of multiple book projects
[17:45] The Myth of the Drunken Genius: Rewriting the Artist’s Relationship with Alcohol
Elizabeth challenges the romanticized narrative that alcohol fuels creativity.
Why the “tortured artist” trope is harmful and inaccurate
How sobriety actually enhances her ability to access difficult emotions and write honestly
The difference between numbing to get through hard material versus sitting with discomfort
Why sobriety gives her stamina for the long-term work of revision and publishing
[21:30] Writing What Scares You: The Novel About Life Not Going as Planned
Elizabeth discusses her novel about a woman who dies, becomes a ghost, and has to reckon with a life that didn’t go as expected.
Using fiction to explore anxieties about control and expectation
The freedom of writing “just for fun” without publication pressure
How her cancer experience shaped her understanding of life’s unpredictability
Writing as a way to express anxiety rather than escape it
[26:25] Infinite Perspectives: The Creative Practice of Turning Stories
Elizabeth explains her philosophy that you can write into any topic infinitely—there are always new angles, deeper layers.
Her daughter’s cancer as a “many-sided figure” she keeps turning and examining
Why she helps other writers understand they’ll never “run out” of things to say
The practice of zooming in and pulling back to find new entry points to familiar stories
How sobriety supports the patience required for this kind of deep creative exploration
[29:12] Advice for Creatives Considering Sobriety: Find Your Community
Elizabeth’s biggest regret? Not connecting with other sober creatives sooner.
Why she initially kept herself separate from the sober writing community
The specific challenges of getting sober in the arts that only other artists understand
How connecting with people a few steps ahead prepares you for what’s coming
The importance of seeing that the path is worth being on
Key Quotes
“If there’s nowhere to physically or mentally go, I’m going to go into the bottom of a bottle. You have to go somewhere.” - Elizabeth Austin
“I knew after three months that this is it, this is my new life. And I was so happy. I was so relieved.” - Elizabeth Austin
“I’m of the mindset that you can write into anything infinitely... There are an infinite number of ways to tell a story. You can always go deeper.” - Elizabeth Austin
“I’m really glad I’m sober because I think I would be struggling to deal with the uncertainty of it all if I wasn’t.” - Elizabeth Austin
“Sober writers are so great. It’s such a great community. And sober creatives in general—it’s very tight knit, and there are specific things about getting sober in the arts that are specific to the arts.” - Elizabeth Austin
Resources Mentioned
Writing Elizabeth (Substack newsletter)
Elizabeth’s essay “Happiness Is A Big, Ugly Sofa” in The New York Times
Publications: TIME, Harper’s Bazaar, McSweeney’s, Electric Literature, Narratively
Where to Find Elizabeth Austin
Instagram: @writingelizabeth
Website: writingelizabeth.com
Ready to Explore What Clarity Can Do for Your Creative Work?
Elizabeth’s story shows us what becomes possible when we stop numbing and start showing up fully to our creative practice. If you’re sensing that something’s holding you back—whether it’s alcohol, fear, or the belief that sobriety means losing your edge—you’re not alone.
The Sober Creative Method™ is a 90-day journey designed to remove alcohol as the barrier to your greatest work. It’s not about white-knuckling through cravings or following someone else’s recovery playbook. It’s about discovering what happens when clarity becomes your most essential creative tool.
If you feel you suspect your relationship with alcohol is keeping you stuck or you want to explore what intentional sobriety could unlock, this is for anyone ready to stop performing and start creating from a place of complete presence.
Ready to explore what’s possible?
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us live for this conversation, and to Elizabeth Austin for her extraordinary honesty and wisdom. Your presence and engagement make these conversations possible.
What’s Next
The Sober Creative is more than a newsletter—it’s a movement of individuals reclaiming their creativity by choosing clarity over coping.
The 31-Day Alcohol-Free Reset starts on January 1st.
If you want to see what your creativity feels like without alcohol in the way, this is your moment.
🎯 Take the Clarity Quiz: This assessment reveals certain areas 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.
