Artist Power: What is it and how was it developed?Artist Power: What is it and how was it developed?
I Love Being Sober
Tim Westbrook talks with Garen Jones about childhood trauma, prison, and the concept of "artist power" as a way to reclaim authenticity and freedom. Their conversation ties inner work, mindset and creativity directly to sobriety and breaking out of self-made prisons.
1:18:26•1 Feb 2023
Artist Power, Prison Walls and the Inner Work of Staying Sober
Episode Overview
- Long-term change collapses without ongoing inner work, much like fitness disappears if you stop training.
- Feeling "in prison" can show up in relationships, jobs and addiction patterns, not just behind physical bars.
- Reconnecting with what you loved as a child can unlock confidence, creativity and a sense of freedom that supports sobriety.
- Simple practices like daily affirmations and writing between your big self and little self can strengthen authenticity and self-worth.
- Investing in mentors, coaches and growth communities can dramatically accelerate personal change and reduce self-sabotage.
“You don't have to have gone to prison like I do to be in prison inside the relationship you know you don't want to be in and you stay in it.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation between Tim Westbrook and transformation coach Garen Jones pulls you right into the gritty tension between self-sabotage and self-belief. You'll hear Garen trace his life from childhood trauma, near-death experiences and the murder of his father to juvenile detention, a French prison sentence for smuggling 6.2 kilos of heroin, and eventually becoming a sought-after transformation speaker.
Tim links Garen’s story directly to addiction and recovery, pointing out how hard it is to change when "the people that have what they want don't want what they have and don't want to hang out with them." Garen shares how books like *The Power of Positive Thinking* briefly shifted his life into modelling, music videos and billboards, only for ego and stopping the inner work to push him back into crime.
His prison story is wild: from being starved for a confession to feeling more free inside prison than he ever did outside by running, creating art, and serving other inmates. When officials later retested the drugs and found "90% was fake," he was released early — a turning point he links to changing his inner state.
The heart of the episode is Garen’s concept of "artist power" — that inner child energy and creativity that gets stripped away by society, fear and conformity. He explains how reconnecting with what you loved as a kid can unlock confidence, self-expression and a sense of freedom that supports sobriety and long-term change. Practical tools like mirror affirmations and writing letters between your "big" self and your "little" self give this episode real, usable depth.
If you’ve ever felt "in prison" in a job, relationship, or addiction pattern, this conversation might have you asking: what would change if you treated your inner work like daily cardio instead of a crash diet?
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