“I didn’t know I wanted to write this.”
Niesha Davis
That’s how Niesha Davis describes the beginning of her journey with The Sober Curious Activity Book—and it’s exactly why her story resonates.
Sober curiosity doesn’t arrive with sirens or ultimatums. Sometimes it shows up as bloating. Anxiety. Bad sleep. A quiet sense that something’s off. For Niesha, those whispers were impossible to ignore. Her body was asking questions long before she had language for the answers.
In a culture that glorifies extremes—rock bottom or nothing—sober curiosity offers a third path. One rooted in noticing. Reflecting. Getting honest without making lifelong declarations.
What makes Niesha’s approach refreshing is its creativity. Journaling, drawing, tactile play—these aren’t distractions from healing; they’re gateways into it. Where alcohol once blurred discomfort, creativity now gives it shape. Color. Context.
There’s also courage in her honesty about grief. Letting go of alcohol can feel like letting go of youth, identity, or social currency. That mourning period? It’s real. But so is the relief on the other side—where presence replaces performance and connection deepens without a buzz.
Neisha reminds us that sober curiosity isn’t about perfection. It’s personal. Some people love non-alcoholic drinks. Some don’t. The win isn’t what’s in your glass—it’s that you chose it consciously.
And perhaps the most powerful truth of all: you don’t owe anyone an explanation. Curiosity is enough. Listening is enough. Starting where you are is enough.
If you’ve ever wondered what life might feel like with a little less numbing and a little more noticing, this conversation is your invitation.
???? Listen to the full episode of The Sober Curator Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more. That’s the whole premise.
The Sober Curator Podcast brings sober lifestyle, pop culture and recovery to the mic with personality, perspective and a glitter bomb of honesty. Founder and host Alysse Bryson (sober since May 1, 2006, and self-described Kevin Bacon of Recovery) is joined by co-host and show producer Tamar Routly of Podcast Impact Studio, plus a rotating bench of global Sober Curator contributors who pull up a chair as co-hosts.
What we cover, episode to episode:
Happy Every Hour: zero-proof drinks, NA beer, spirits and cocktails, reviewed by people who actually drink them.
Health and Wellness: mental health, physical health and what recovery looks like on a Tuesday.
Lifestyle: dating, parenting, shopping, style and the everyday logistics of alcohol-free living.
Entertainment: quit lit, movies, TV, music, sports and celebrity sobriety, rated with our proprietary Sobees.
Spiritual Gangster: Jesus to astrology, stoicism to the Celtic calendar.
Travel: sober events, sober retreats, Sobriety in the City and global travel without a drink in hand.
We also review other sober podcasts on Recovery Podcastland, dig into sponsored product spotlights, and go deep with contributors on how they got sober and what keeps them there. New episodes drop as video on YouTube and audio everywhere you listen.
Want more? BACKSTAGE with The Sober Curator is our membership community with Media Nights, Studio Nights, Edutainment Nights and The Sober Curator Mixtape, a monthly mini-zine delivered in a cassette case. Details at https://thesobercurator.com/backstage-with-the-sober-curator/
Whether you’re sober curious or decades in, we’ve got you. We’re not here to help you get sober. We’re here to help you live sober and love it.
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Contact: thesobercurator@gmail.com
A.J. Daulerio got sober in the middle of the Hulk Hogan trial. Three months in, every defect of character he had was being read to a jury. He calls it fourth step dinner theater.
Then he built The Small Bow, the recovery publication Alysse was embarrassed she didn’t know about: literary essays, free Zoom meetings every day of the week, a podcast, and now a book. Two magazine people and a producer try to name the category they’re in, and mostly fail.
In this episode:
- Why AJ interviews himself in the car (and who he pretends is asking)
- “Sober BuzzFeed” vs. “literary meat”: what each of us is building and who it’s for
- The Harper’s story about AA that made AJ pay $100 a year, and why nobody writes for people who are past rock bottom and a little adrift
- Abstinence, sobriety, recovery: why 12-step is one of nine things AJ does
- The Hulk Hogan trial, the Uber driver who didn’t care, and the lesson in humility
- The Small Book, out Dec. 29
Heads up: this one goes to some dark places, including a reader AJ lost and a friend Alysse lost. Take care while listening.
CHAPTERS
00:00 The train, off the tracks
01:28 AJ interviews himself in the car
05:34 How Alysse found The Small Bow
11:39 “Chicken soup for the dark night of the soul”
14:40 Are we wellness? Sound baths and trust falls
15:19 Sober ten years, and the problems get classier
18:54 Abstinence, sobriety, recovery: 12-step is one of nine
26:35 The Harper’s story that started everything
29:58 Literary meat vs. sober BuzzFeed
41:15 Fourth step dinner theater: the Hulk Hogan trial
46:57 “I’m the writer. I’m the human.”
48:47 “So you met Hulk Hogan?”
57:17 What AJ would tell year one
01:01:59 “Fast-forward to the part they get sober”
Sober Shots:
“You’re allowed to build your whole life around a routine nobody will ever write a headline about.” (Alysse Bryson)
“All the things that I thought were being taken away from me were also the things I needed to let go of the most.” (A.J. Daulerio)
Mentioned in this episode:
– The Small Bow – The Small Book, out Dec. 29 – I’m The Sober Curator, and I Just Found The Small Bow – S2E17 with Paulina Pinsky – Backstage with The Sober Curator
Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more.
SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/
SC RESOURCES:
– Meet the Contributors – Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide – Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide – LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide – Family Resource Guide
CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest
Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: thesobercurator@gmail.com
Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice.
Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.
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