How I Found My Passion in Sobriety

The gifts of sobriety are incredible. All people are born with potential to find something they truly love to do and pursue that with passion. The genuine love for the things we do and the emotional connection to achieving new goals, or simply being present in the moments of our favorite routines, is something that is freeing and fulfilling to each of us. When abusing drugs or drinking begins to be more important to us than anything else, we lose our passion for the things we love to do because it is redirected to our addictions.

I took the time to speak with a few people I know in recovery about the things they are passionate about and how they have found new passion for these things in sobriety.

Passion For Custom Creativity  

Recently I spoke with a young woman, who creates custom pieces for clients seeking quality decorative work,

“Having done artwork mainly for business purposes, sitting alone to paint was often difficult- isolation is NEVER a good friend of mine. When first getting sober, I could paint about an hour before depression or angst would set in. Then I would have to pick up the phone, go to a meeting, and get active in my recovery. As the ‘promises’ of recovery continue to show up in my life, artwork is becoming more art and less work. As I discovered a God of my understanding, I became grateful for the gifts I am given. I am able to sit and paint because, if I am spiritually healthy, I am NEVER alone.”   

For The Love of The Game 

I also spoke with Nick, a very close friend of mine who has recently hit new heights in his passions.

“I have played baseball all my life and it has always been my passion in life, what I was born to do is be on the field on that mound. As my addiction grew stronger and progressed more and more baseball took a backseat to my drugs and alcohol as did everything else. I thought my career was over to be honest and though I’d never set foot on a field again. I had given up hope”

 “Getting sober has given me so many gifts and opportunities; baseball is just one of them. If I wasn’t sober I wouldn’t have the drive or means to get into shape to play, or have the mental focus to do what is needed of me on the field- but when I step on that field or up to that plate a million things could be going wrong, I could be so stressed out and fearful, but for those 3 hours I’m at peace. Ease and comfort like nothing else“

“My daily reprieve huh, I would love to give you a 12 step cookie cutter answer and say that it is God and the fellowship and all that program stuff. That is a part of it, but there’s just something special that happens to me when I’m in baseball mode. It’s what I love to do and I found it again in sobriety, I walked on, tried out, and now have a chance to play professional baseball. I wouldn’t have that opportunity if I wasn’t sober and I’m so grateful for that. And for the people who I love that have supported me the whole way,”

Guitar and Tattoo Guru 

Lastly I spoke with a friend who had a big influence on me as an artist at local tattoo studio who is an active member of the recovery community as well as a musician. I had a few one on one sessions with him to get some tattoo work done, and he shared with me some experience. I reached out to him for a few words.

“For me it was a big fear in early recovery that my creativity and my life would not be the same if I was sober. I thought I would have a boring life without drugs and alcohol. In active addiction I was not able to critically think, and I was unable let go of the fear of making a mistake. The best thing I learned is that if I get out of my way and let my higher power work in my life in all these things I did not need to critically think, I get this peace when that fear is removed, and I get to experience an expression of God,”

“What I have come to find is that I wasn’t doing much of writing, painting, or music when I wasn’t sober. But in sobriety I got prayer and meditation, and through that I was able to enrich those things in my life, and that enabled me to let go of a lot of the fear and false beliefs. The belief that I needed some kind of substance to be creative was a lie.”

“In the beginning of my sobriety all I needed was some kind of faith, and through sobriety that faith matured and I gained discipline in spiritual practices that I was able to apply to my creative practices.  I read a book that opened my eyes to that idea that I am able to do these things to be closer to God, and it talks about how spirituality plays into art, music, and our passions.”

These amazing individuals make several very strong points! They are all just a few examples of how addicts and alcoholics are such talented and passionate people, and how once we have found ourselves willing to work on changing our lives, our lives take on new meaning through the things we love the most. Writing is something I was always passionate about, and in active addiction my writing was lacking in emotion or meaning, if I was even writing at all. Now the writing I am blessed enough to do every day gives me freedom, happiness and feels full of purpose, because I get to write with passion!

If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-951-6135