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:

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Order In The Low - NEW Book with Scott Erickson
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Order In Rest - New Book of Poems

Order Sacred Strides

JustinMcRoberts.com

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Stop Calling Yourself Broken: A Conversation About Sobriety and Wholeness with Laura McKowen