Today we are shining a Sober Spotlight on Blair Sharp, an alcohol-free wife and mom from Rochester, Minnesota. She’s also our newest Sober Curator!
She removed alcohol from her life when her son was 18 months old. Throughout her drinking career she had a lot of moments that should have made her quit, but she didn’t realize life without alcohol was possible. Once she became a mom, she gained a new responsibility and could no longer live in the cycle she was in.
In February of 2018, after another typical weekend of drinking too much and another horrible hangover, she found a blog post that inspired her to start her alcohol-free journey.
Since 2014 Blair has been working as a Psychometrist…she works directly with patients and tests their thinking. She has been a wife to Rodney since 2015 and a mom to Kyus since 2016. She’s a tall introverted homebody who loves to eat cheese and watch reality television.
Since going AF, her sober date is February 26, 2018, Blair has been pursuing her passion for writing. She blogs on Instagram, has a personal blog on her website www.blairsharp.com, and is a staff writer for Rochester Mom, a parenting resource in her community. Blair also is a host for 1000 Hours Dry Parents on Wednesdays, and does guest blogging.
Blair loves to laugh, and has a sarcastic and blunt personality. She doesn’t take life too seriously. She says that if she can help one person by telling her story, that’s enough for her.
Q & A with Blair Sharp
Favorite non-alcoholic beverage:
I love flavored (or not) iced teas. I also love matcha drinks and iced coffee. Lately I’ve been branching out and trying different things and really love the brands Mocktail Club and NOPE
Favorite “QUIT-LIT” recovery/sobriety book:
The one I always say that changed my brain was This Naked Mind by Annie Grace. It changed the way I thought of alcohol and drinking. The way she takes power away from alcohol in this book was a game changer for me. Her writing made me realize that I didn’t need it. I suggest it to everyone.
Another favorite of mine is We Are The Luckiest by Laura McKowen. Her HOME podcast with Holly Whitaker was something I leaned on in early-sobriety. I’ve been following Laura ever since. She is an amazing writer and I actually got to meet her in March 2020 in Denver at a book signing. I had so many “aha” moments while reading her blogs and her book. Her story is empowering and I relate to her a lot.
Sober Curator Pro Tip: We’ve featured This Naked Mind by Annie Grace in our #QUITLIT section
How does your recovery benefit your creativity?
Since quitting drinking I have the motivation to do things. Before, I would have grand ideas but they’d never happen. It would seem like too much work or I wouldn’t think that I’d be good enough at something to move forward with it. Now, I take chances. I put myself out there. I still worry about how I’m perceived, I’m human. But now, I think, “what’s the worst that could happen?”
What do you do to take time for yourself?
Most of the time I have to force this to happen, and sometimes I forget to. Lately I’ve been intentionally leaving the house for a few hours on the weekend. I go to a local coffee shop and work on content creation and writing. I try to get up early before everyone else and get at least 30 minutes to myself. I’m lucky if this happens, because I have an early-rising 4 year old but when I do get that time it makes my day go a lot better. Sometimes I ask my husband to leave the house with my son, or I’ll stay inside while they play outside. I might leave work early or wait a bit longer to pick my son up from daycare so I can squeeze in a few extra me-moments (even if they’re in my car).
Going public with your recovery can be intimidating. What tips or benefits do you have to share?
I’d say start small. Tell your partner, your family, your close circle of friends first. Once you get that off your shoulders it feels better. You don’t have to be like me and tell your entire life story on the internet but if that’s something you think will help, look for ways to do that. There are a lot of Instagram accounts that spotlight sober people or websites that want guest writers to tell their story. Writing out or speaking your story is helpful to both you and others.
Also, I think we are often more nervous about going public with our struggles than we need to be. A lot of times someone else will say “wow, I feel that way too,” and you would have never known if you hadn’t spoken up about how you are doing. We also worry that our friends and family won’t be supportive. They may not always understand but they are typically more supportive than we think.
If you could go backwards and tell your newly sober self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Just you wait and see, your life is going to be so much better. You’re going to have so much happiness and creativity that you never knew was possible. BUT – you’re going to have to figure out who you are without it, and that will be the hard part. Keep working at it, you’ll figure out who you are…little by little.
Advice for newly sober people:
You don’t have to worry about the next wedding, party, or work event right now. Just don’t drink today. Tomorrow, do the same. If you’re going to an event and you are newly sober – LIE! Make up a reason you aren’t drinking. Tell people this ahead of time to avoid any award moments. Make a plan. Head out early, or don’t go at all. You won’t be missing too much, nothing good ever happens after 9pm anyways, right? As you get more sober days put together, these things will get easier. Tell someone close to you what you’re up to.
What are you most proud of in recovery?
I’m proud of myself. I’m proud that I did it at all. I quit drinking on my own, without a ton of support from people in my real life. I’m proud that I stuck with it. I found sober-Instagram early on in my sobriety and it was super beneficial but I’m the only “non-drinker” in my group of friends. Luckily, my husband is also a non-drinker, which makes us a power couple, clearly LOL.
What are the main differentiators of you?
I’m down to earth and relatable. I’m blunt, but since quitting drinking, I’ve really worked on my delivery and how I talk to people. I have a hard time with empathy, which can sometimes come off as selfish or “toxic-positivity,” but I try to be aware. I have anxious and perfectionist tendencies, but I am easy going in some respects too. My husband would probably laugh if he heard me say that. I try to make my life as easy as possible, and not take things too seriously.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Probably reality television. I really love just lounging on my couch with some good snacks and catching up on my shows. I guess I probably like it because I don’t have drama in my life – so I like watching other people’s drama haha!
Sober Curator Pro Tip: Make sure to check out our Movie Night with The Sober Curator section and see what we’ve been watching
Favorite pop culture moment?
How do you even pick one!? I think it depends on the time in my life. I really love all things 90s. Boy bands, Friends, Titanic…
What’s on your playlist right now? Favorite bands or podcasts?
I love the playlists Lo-Fi Beats and Music for Writing on Spotify if I am trying to get something done like write or work. If I am trying to get in a good mood, I’ll turn on some 90s or early 2000s pop/r&b/hip-hop. That kind also works if we’re outside in the sun but another favorite is a Yacht Rock playlist.
What is your go to meditation?
I don’t do a lot of meditations but if I do, they’re guided. It’s hard turning off my brain, so I need someone there telling me to relax haha! I also like calming instrumental playlists in the background if I’m trying to do work or write.
What else would you like our readers to know?
When I quit drinking three years ago, removing the alcohol was the easy part. Once I had that figured out, it was then that the work began. I had to get used to the new non-drinking me. I had to figure out who that was. I’m still working on this, but things have come full circle. Years ago, I reached out to someone online for support and now I’m that support for other people.
I have actual hobbies now. When I was drinking, that WAS the hobby. No matter what we were doing, I tried to (and most of the time was successful at) get alcohol involved. It is so “normal” to have booze for every occasion, I was doing what everyone else was. Now, I can appreciate other parts of life. I realize now that it’s not just about getting a buzz.
I’m so glad I quit drinking when my son was only 18 months old. I can be the mom that he deserves now that I don’t drink. I know I won’t ever be too hungover to give him attention or thinking about drinking instead of spending time with him. I’m so glad he won’t know about the drinking-me.
The Sober Spotlight section of our site highlights extraordinary people in recovery. Sober small business owners doin’ their thing gives us all the feels. We also spotlight brands that cater to sober living and give back to recovery. Who is making a difference in your recovery community? If you know someone we should spotlight please connect with us.
Resources are available
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
