Episode 64: The Power of Storytelling, Sisterhood, and Art in Sobriety w/ Author Kerri MaherEpisode 64: The Power of Storytelling, Sisterhood, and Art in Sobriety w/ Author Kerri Maher
Creative Sobriety
Author Kerri Maher talks with Kristen Bear about how sobriety has transformed her life, creative process and latest novel set against 1960s California. Their conversation touches on sisterhood, art, wine culture and the importance of community in both recovery and writing.
50:14•25 Jun 2026
Story, Sisterhood and Sobriety with Author Kerri Maher
Episode Overview
- Stopping drinking is a beginning, and the real work and rewards of sobriety unfold after that moment.
- Creative practices like journaling and morning pages can unlock new ideas and clarity in recovery.
- Sisterhood and female friendships in sobriety create deep, unique bonds and a sense of being truly seen.
- Long-term creative success often involves years of rejection, experimentation with genres and persistent effort.
- Finding community—both in sobriety and in creative work—is essential for resilience and encouragement.
“The point at which you stop drinking is really the beginning… it isn’t the end.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between host Kristen Bear and USA Today bestselling author Kerri Maher leans into that question with warmth, humour, and a big dose of creativity. Kerri shares how her four-and-a-half years of sobriety shaped her latest novel *Summer of Love*, a story threaded with motherhood, sisterhood, art, and recovery.
She explains that, for her, quitting drinking wasn’t a final scene but a starting line: “the point at which you stop drinking is really the beginning… the really exciting part.” That shift in perspective runs through both her life and her fiction. You’ll hear how Kerri’s writing changed after she stopped drinking, including the moment a friend pushed her towards Julia Cameron’s *The Artist’s Way* and its dreaded morning pages.
Kerri admits she “hated journaling” but says that within weeks of committing to the process, “I had the whole novel… all the characters in the plot and everything figured out.” It’s a candid look at how sober clarity and creative routines can work together. The chat also digs into the book’s dual timelines: a modern-day woman six months sober, and a 1960s California backdrop filled with wine, counterculture, and a poet chasing her art.
Themes of female friendship, family tension, buried creativity, and the pull between responsibility and freedom will speak to anyone who’s ever felt torn between the “sensible” path and the life their heart wants. Kerri and Kristen round things off with honest talk about rejection, community, and why creative people in recovery need both discipline and support. Kerri’s final advice? “Just keep swimming.
Just keep doing it.” If you’re sober, sober-curious, or simply craving stories where art and recovery meet, this conversation might be the nudge you need to pick up a pen, a paintbrush, or just a bit more hope.
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