Running in quicksand… that’s what it’d felt like. I’d just wanted to close the gap between the me I wanted to be, and the one I was actually being.
Four and a half years ago, I got sober. Josh Woll from The Sober Creative invited me to chat with him about my path from then to now on an episode of his podcast, Clear Conversations. We recorded it as a live-streamed discussion on Substack, but I’m excited to share the video replay with you as a special edition of The Unobstructed Podcast.
The Unobstructed Podcast: Episode 32
Video Replay: Derek MacDonald and Josh Woll on Clear Conversations.
This episode of The Unobstructed Podcast is about getting out of your own way—about being caught between shame, fear, and the path to finally feeling clear.
The same week I got sober I also started a new job, went through a breakup, and moved across the country. I don’t remember feeling the urge to drink so much as I remember feeling frustrated by not knowing how to fit in anymore. I’d felt really naked—like everyone else knew how to connect with each other and I didn’t. Turns out, that was something I’d needed to learn from scratch, like a toddler.
Sobriety reshaped my approach to creativity and stability, but only because of what it exposed. Facing that is at the heart of what we talk about in the episode. You can listen above via Substack and also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.
onward.
P.S. If you’re new to my work, I think you’d also enjoy my daily email series on navigating agency, grief, and creativity in daily life.
Check out more of the amazing work Josh is doing with The Sober Creative.
