017: "the Artist's Way" Ivan B. shares his story a 3 year battle with addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism until he finds recovery.017: "the Artist's Way" Ivan B. shares his story a 3 year battle with addiction, drug abuse and alcoholism until he finds recovery.
The SHAIR Recovery Podcast
Ivan recounts his journey from teenage heroin addiction in New Orleans to 11 years clean, grounded in AA, creativity and spiritual practice. The conversation highlights practical tools, sponsorship and small daily actions that support long-term recovery.
59:18•9 Jun 2015
Heroin, Costa Rica and The Artist’s Way: Ivan’s 11-Year Clean Journey
Episode Overview
- Addiction often feels like a spiritual search gone wrong, where drugs and alcohol become a misguided solution to inner discomfort.
- Simple daily practices such as morning pages, meditation and regular meetings can ease anxiety and create space for change.
- Surrender often starts when loved ones stop rescuing, forcing responsibility back onto the person who is using.
- Working the 12 steps with a sponsor provides a clear roadmap, especially when it is grounded in concrete reading, writing and discussion.
- For newcomers, focusing less on thoughts and more on consistent action—meetings, service, honesty—can make staying clean far more realistic.
“Don’t worry about what you think. Let’s worry about what you’re doing.”
At 30 years old and 11 years clean, Ivan talks about his life today in Los Angeles: making art, working in restaurants, living with his girlfriend, and staying grounded with meetings, meditation and a creative routine called **“The Artist’s Way.”** He explains how morning pages and weekly “artist dates” help clear his anxiety, saying it’s like “clearing the faucet before you run the tap clean.” From there, he rewinds to age 16 in New Orleans, where Jack Daniels, acid and ecstasy quickly gave way to heroin.
Curious about how others make their way through sobriety? This conversation between host Omar Pinto and his friend Ivan offers a raw, funny and very honest look at addiction and recovery. He describes blackout apartments, dangerous drug deals at 7 a.m., stealing from work, and the insane hope that fake drugs might still get him high. His words on addiction are blunt: when he says he’s an alcoholic, he means total obsession and no ability to stop once he starts.
A desperate move to Costa Rica and a chaotic detox lead to what he calls an “involuntary surrender.” Instead of running, he stays in treatment, finds English-speaking meetings, and is taken under the wing of sponsors who teach him the 12 steps, spiritual principles and even basic life skills like buying a backpack and a toothbrush.
You’ll hear how step work reshaped his relationships, how a written “relationship ideal” helped him stop chasing chaos and build a healthy partnership, and why service and sponsoring others became central to his long-term recovery. His favourite advice to newcomers? Stop overthinking and focus on action: **“Don’t worry about what you think.
Let’s worry about what you’re doing.”** If you’re wondering whether a different life is possible, Ivan’s story might be the nudge you need to take that next small step.
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