“Hi. I’m Tawny and I have a drinking problem.”

Almost two months ago on her blog, SobrieTea, the one-time bartender made a one year commitment to sobriety by “swapping booze for tea.” And after “15 years of self-destructive behavior” she’s also committed to recovery.

The principal motivation for my creativity. Finding new ways to inspire others.

The principal motivation for my sobriety. To stay empowered to live my life without using a numbing agent.

My favorite qualities in a person. Honesty, Integrity, Creativity, Striving with Contentment.

What I appreciate most about my friends. Their individuality.

My main fault.

My favorite occupation. Writer & Motivator.

My dream of happiness. Being near a beach. Falling in love. Traveling the world.

My idea of misery. Involuntary solitude—community is essential for my growth.

My greatest regret. Underestimating the value of education.

My proudest moment. Graduating with my BBA after 10 years of prioritizing partying over college.

Other than myself, who would I like to be? A monkey. They are so freaking cute and they can swing from trees!

Where I would like to live. Paris. Spending three days alone in Paris showed me how strong I can be under pressure. After that trip, I knew I was ready for the big move to New York City.

My favorite color.

"For clothes, black…in nature, yellow…on lips, red." [Oh, SNAP! Trick question! Err, trick answer?—Chris]

My favorite authors. Gabby Bernstein, Dani Shapiro, Brené Brown

My favorite poets. Jim Morrison, Rainer Rilke

My favorite composers/musicians. Jack White, Guns N’ Roses, Awolnation, The Doors, Velvet Underground

My favorite painters/designers/photographers. Jacqueline Stubbs: beautiful artist/my grandmother

My hero(es). My mom—Her independence taught me to think for myself. Her eternal love and vulnerability continues to inspire me everyday. My aunt— For her selflessness, her knowledge, and her desire to share with others.

My favorite food and drink. Gingerade Kombucha*, kale, peanut butter, dark chocolate.

*It's worth noting that this flavor is from the Enlightened line which was specifically formulated to control for the presence of alcohol.—Chris

My drug of (lack of) choice when I was using. Alcohol (Jack Daniels,) weed, painkillers.

What I hate most of all. Having to stay gracious when dealing with people that have no conscience. I have to take a deep breath and remind myself that their behavior has nothing to do with me; it’s a reflection of something else in their lives.

The natural talent I'd like to be gifted with. Public speaking.

How I want to die. Happy, in love, and knowing that I’ve made an impact in people’s lives.

My present state of mind.

Clarity. Sobriety is showing me the toxicity that I was too drunk to see before. I’ve been removing myself from people, relationships, and activities that no longer serve me.

ClariTea.

Faults for which I have the most indulgence. Self destruction: My love of self destruction led me straight towards whiskey and drugs. Now that I’m sober, I continue to find new ways to be hard on myself like obsessing over personal development, not working out “enough”, and not being “enough”.

My favorite motto.

Live in possibility.

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ABOUT RECOVERY REVELATIONS™

Our Recovery Revelations Questionnaire is based on the questions of a late 19th century English "confessions album" later mistakenly attributed to French novelist, Marcel Proust. Vanity Fair uses a version for their Proust Questionnaire and James Lipton uses a variation on Inside the Actors' Studio.

You are encouraged to engage the interviewee(s) and explore their answers further in the comments.

If you'd like to be share your Recovery Revelations, please contact Chris for details.