HAPPY EVERY HOUR
The 2025 Sans Bar Academy Awards Finalists Are In — and The Sober Curator Is Front and Center

Lights. Camera. Sober Action! The Sans Bar Academy Awards are back, and the 2025 finalists have just been announced. As the alcohol-free movement continues to gain momentum, these awards celebrate the changemakers, creators, brands, and voices leading the charge toward a more inclusive, mindful, and booze-free future. And this year, The Sober Curator is taking center stage in one of the most influential categories of all: Culture Ambassador 2025.

#QUITLIT
Fentanyl, Inc. by Ben Westhoff

Fentanyl, Inc. by Ben Westhoff is a harrowing deep dive into the world of synthetic drugs, focusing on fentanyl. This substance has been responsible for thousands of deaths during the opioid epidemic. Westhoff’s meticulous investigation covers the global supply chain—from corrupt chemists to the dealers on the streets of America—painting a devastating portrait of a crisis far from over.

ENTERTAINMENT
Netflix’s “Pulse” – Medicine, Romance, and the Glorification of Alcohol Culture

In the high-stakes world of Miami medicine portrayed in Netflix’s freshman drama “Pulse,”  viewers are treated to the familiar tropes of hospital romances, power struggles and professional challenges. While the show attempts to tackle meaningful issues — sexual harassment, power imbalances in workplace relationships and the crushing stress of medical careers — it simultaneously undermines its own potential depth through its reliance on an outdated narrative crutch: alcohol as the universal solution to life’s problems.

RECOVERY PODCASTLAND
Post-Acute Withdrawal: The Hidden Challenge of Sobriety 

If you’ve ever asked yourself that question in early sobriety, you’re not alone. Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) is one of the most misunderstood (and frustrating) parts of the recovery process. It’s not just about getting through the first few days or weeks without alcohol — it’s the lingering mental, emotional and physical symptoms that can show up months into sobriety. And if you don’t know what’s happening, it can feel like you’re doing something wrong. 

#WEDORECOVER
From Rock Bottom to Box Office Titan: How Sobriety Transformed Samuel L. Jackson’s Life and Career

Samuel L. Jackson’s journey to sobriety is as compelling and heroic as any role he’s played on screen. After years of battling addiction to alcohol, LSD, heroin, and cocaine—much of it while steadily working in theater—Jackson reached a breaking point in 1991. His rock bottom arrived when his wife and young daughter found him passed out in the kitchen surrounded by drug paraphernalia.

At the urging of his family, he entered rehab, and from that moment on, he committed to a life of sobriety. Remarkably, just two weeks after completing treatment, Jackson landed the role of Gator in Jungle Fever—a crack addict whose harrowing authenticity stunned audiences and won him a special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival. That performance wasn’t just a career breakthrough—it was an exorcism of sorts, a way to confront and "kill off" the part of himself lost in addiction.

Since getting sober, Jackson has built one of the most successful acting careers in Hollywood history, with his name now attached to over $16 billion in global box office revenue. He attributes much of that success to his sobriety, describing a “palpable life change” that followed his recovery. He’s been open about how addiction dulled his performances and robbed him of emotional connection—both on stage and off. Sobriety gave him the clarity and vulnerability necessary to evolve into a truly transformative actor.

More than three decades later, Jackson remains sober, grounded, and deeply grateful. He begins each day in prayer, asking for continued freedom from the desire to drink or use. His story reminds us that it’s never too late to change, and that the truest version of ourselves often lies just on the other side of surrender.

For anyone struggling, know that help is available: 📞 1-800-662-HELP (SAMHSA Helpline).

ENTERTAINMENT
BIG NEWS: The Sober Curator Wins 3 Communicator Awards!🎉

The Communicator Awards are no small potatoes. They’re one of the leading international programs honoring excellence, innovation, and effectiveness across all areas of communication—from marketing and digital media to branded content and beyond. This year, the awards celebrate the theme “Communication is Connection,” spotlighting how impactful storytelling can build bridges, foster understanding, and unite people.

LIFESTYLE
Best and Worst Dressed at The Met Gala

Each year, the Met Gala serves as fashion’s grandest stage—where couture meets concept, and where a single hemline or headpiece can spark global conversation. For 2025, guests ascended the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art under the theme Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, a tribute to the centuries-spanning artistry and identity rooted in Black sartorial expression. With a dress code dubbed “Tailored for You,” the red carpet was a parade of personal interpretations—some poetic, some perplexing, and a few destined for fashion history.

SPIRITUAL GANGSTER
Guess What? Balance Is a Lie 

Someone asked me recently how I maintain work-life balance. I think they expected something tidy — maybe a calendar hack or my favorite productivity tool. Instead, I said, “I don’t.”

MENTAL HEALTH
A Lingering Ache and a Leaning In: A Mother’s Day Reflection for the Grieving, Growing, and Gradually Reconnecting

There was a time—not long ago… last year in fact—when I didn’t think I’d ever call my mom again on Mother’s Day. Not out of resentment, not even anger, really. Just… distance. Emotional, spiritual, and historical distance. I had accepted that our relationship was more parallel than intersecting: two women walking side by side, close enough to touch, yet unable to bridge the gap due to years of silent resentment that seemed to grow and grow until it fed into indifference.

SPIRITUAL GANGSTER
The Hero’s Journey Ends – Part 3  

Welcome to the final article on the Hero’s Journey. In Part One, we covered the first four phases; in Part Two, we covered phases five through eight. As we have gotten further down the path, have you been able to recognize part of the journey in your story? It never ceases to amaze me how closely our recovery from addiction follows this same path. Next, we will experience our first reward and start taking the road back. After that, we experience the resurrection, followed by a return with the Elixir to end the journey. Let’s continue.