Podcast Summary: Can I Walk With You?

Episode 14 – "My addiction was helping, until..."

Host: Thoraya
Guest: Dylan
Date: October 16, 2025
Location: New York City

Episode Overview

Kicking off Season One from the bustling streets of New York City, Thoraya shares a spontaneous and deeply honest walk-and-talk with Dylan, a visitor marking their first year of sobriety. The conversation covers sobriety, self-acceptance, the evolving role of addiction, creativity, and how New York inspires personal reinvention. Dylan opens up about the transformation brought by leaving addiction behind, the rebirth of their artistic life, and the courage required to own one’s story.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dylan’s Journey to Sobriety

• Dylan is celebrating one year sober, marking not just a personal milestone but a journey toward self-understanding and creative rebirth.

  "I am celebrating my first year of sobriety...and this is also my first leisure travel since getting sober. And it's very different when you're not going from bar to bar..." (00:12)

• Sobriety came not through a dramatic “bottom,” but through trying to stop, discovering increased clarity, and gradually shifting focus to self-care and art.
• Sobriety demystified Dylan's sense of New York and his place in the world:

  "I used to put New York on a pedestal...turns out I can." (00:50)

2. Honest Reflections on Addiction

• Dylan frames addiction as an initially helpful tool:

  "For me, I had to acknowledge that the alcohol was helping...it was medicinal to a point." (02:18)

• Underneath the numbing, the pain and trauma persisted. Sobriety required confronting that pain and re-examining every life structure:

  "It required a deconstruction of my whole life, and I'm very lucky. That was doable for me." (03:31)

• Dylan rejects shame about time spent with addiction and emphasizes compassion for others on their own path:

  "I'm thankful for my experiences. I'm thankful that I didn't hurt people other than myself... There comes a point where you're numbing, numbing, numbing, and the cons outweigh the pros." (04:06)

3. Accepting Pain & Redesigning Life

• The journey is not about erasing the past, but integrating it:

  "I hated it in here. And so alcohol and weed and whatever else...Now a year later, I like myself, and I like it in here. We've redecorated in here. We put new curtains up inside, you know?" (04:47)

• Discusses socially acceptable “addictions,” like workaholism.

  "Workaholism. I was doing that as well. I was getting lost in my job because I didn't want to work on myself." (06:01)

4. Advice for Others on Sobriety

• Sobriety is highly personal and must be chosen for oneself:

  "You have to do it for yourself. You're not gonna get sober for your partner or for your kids...You have to choose that you are worth it." (06:14)

• Recognizing and validating one’s pain is crucial:

  "I used to downplay it and be like, oh, I'm not really traumatized. I'm not really depressed. No, I really am. It's really bad." (07:16)

5. A Pivotal Turning Point

• There was a subtle but significant moment of clarity after a night out:

  "I was with this girl I was dating and one of my oldest friends...I was so unhappy I was at this bar. I didn't even like this bar. I was so hurt, but I couldn't express it...I don't want to be that person. Like, that's not me." (07:36 – 08:41)

• That experience led to the decision to try sobriety, first for a week, then a month, then ongoing.

6. Reclaiming Creative Identity

• Dylan describes his project as a sound artist, combining field recordings and abstract experimentation:

  "My project is called A Sharpened Whisper...I'm finding my own language with it." (11:51)

• Released their first record, “Honey, I Mischanneled the Oracle,” which took six years to create:

  "I just finished my first record and put that out into the world on a silver cd...The record I finished has been six years of work, 2018 to 2024, 37 minutes. And I'm really happy with it." (12:52)

• Shares the poetic tracklist as an example of art-as-poetry and world building. (13:42)

7. Vulnerability & The Value of Sharing

• Dylan discusses the vulnerability of sharing personal, experimental art:

  "It helps everyone. When you're vulnerable and you share something you've made, it casts light on everything else...the vulnerability of sharing something, that's the price you pay for having channeled and created something." (15:47)

• The act of valuing one’s own work, regardless of audience reaction:

  "Pretty much when I feel insecure, I go back and listen to it and I'm like, oh, yeah, I believe in this. This weird little thing I made." (15:12)

8. Message for the Audience: Permission & Purpose

• Dylan’s closing advice is grounded in believing in oneself and giving oneself permission:

  "You already know what your purpose is. Deep down...there's no qualifications that you need. You just get out of your own way and pursue it. But it's like, no-one...you can't wait for permission. No one's going to give you permission. You have to give yourself permission." (18:43)

• Confidence not only changes self-perception but also how the world responds:

  "If you believe you're good enough on a deep level, suddenly the whole world changes. Carry that with you into the room. People pick up on that." (19:02)

• Final, succinct advice:

  "Get out of your own way. That's my advice." (20:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On sobriety and self-worth:

  "Now a year later, I like myself. And I like it in here. We've redecorated in here." – Dylan (04:47)

• On addiction as adaptation:

  "It was medicinal to a point. It was helping. And now that I took that out of the picture, all of a sudden, here's the pain. Here it is. You get to confront it every day." – Dylan (02:33)

• On sharing vulnerability as an artist:

  "The vulnerability of sharing something—that’s the price you pay for having channeled and created something." – Dylan, quoting Rick Rubin (16:21)

• On self-authorization:

  "You can't wait for permission. No one's going to give you permission. You have to give yourself permission." – Dylan (19:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:12 – Dylan introduces the purpose of their visit; the connection between sobriety and finding inspiration.
• 02:18 – Dylan candidly explains why addiction “was helping” until it began to hinder life.
• 04:47 – Describes learning to like oneself after a year of sobriety.
• 06:14 – Importance of pursuing sobriety for one's own sake.
• 07:36 – 08:41 – Pivotal moment leading to Dylan’s decision to quit drinking.
• 11:27 – Dylan shares about their art and project “A Sharpened Whisper.”
• 13:42 – Recites the poetic tracklist, showcasing the world-building in their music.
• 15:47 – Value and risks of vulnerability in creative expression.
• 18:43 – 19:00 – Dylan's final message about self-permission and purpose.

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode’s tone is raw, introspective, and authentic—balancing deep self-examination with gentle humor and lively city energy. Thoraya’s approach is warm and curious, enabling Dylan to share openly about difficult and triumphant moments alike. The conversation carries a sense of hope, resilience, and creative new beginnings.

Resources Mentioned

• Dylan’s Music Project:
  • A Sharpened Whisper
  • Album: Honey, I Mischanneled the Oracle
  • Bandcamp: sharpwhisper.bandcamp.com

Takeaway Message

Dylan’s story is a testament to the courage of starting over, facing buried pain, rebuilding self-love, and finding purpose. The journey to wholeness comes not from waiting for outside validation, but from giving yourself permission to be enough—right now, as you are.

"Get out of your own way." – Dylan (20:10)