At Sea with Justin McRoberts Stop Calling Yourself Broken: A Conversation About Sobriety and Wholeness with Laura McKowen
This week, Justin sits down with bestselling author Laura McKowen for an honest, layered conversation about sobriety, identity, creative calling, and the slow, often painful work of becoming whole.
Together they explore:
• Why “place” matters for emotional and spiritual grounding
• The strange internal pull that guides creative people long before they have language for it
• How early snippets of desire can act as breadcrumbs into a future self
• The difference between writing for yourself and writing for publication
• Why AA saved Laura’s life—and where its framing can unintentionally keep people small
• How relapse, repeated “Day Ones,” and imperfect recovery are part of the human journey
• The relationship between money, creativity, and integrity
• Why the long work of sobriety is ultimately a long work of identity
The episode closes with a reading from In the Low and a reflection on why wholeness—not speed, not perfection—is the actual goal.
Laura's Website - https://www.lauramckowen.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/laura_mckowen
Links For Justin:
Order In The Low - NEW Book with Scott Erickson
Coaching with Justin
Order In Rest - New Book of Poems
NEW Single - Let Go
NEW Music - Sliver of Hope
NEW Music - The Dood and The Bird