Christine Soja's recovery journey began not in a treatment center but at her kitchen table with a sketch pad and pen. As a stay-at-home mom of two young boys, she found herself drowning in an identity crisis, using alcohol as "self-care" while silently wondering, "Who am I? How did I get here?"When Christine discovered a 100-day drawing challenge on Instagram just as she decided to quit drinking, something unexpected happened. What started as a simple commitment to draw daily for 100...
Christine Soja's recovery journey began not in a treatment center but at her kitchen table with a sketch pad and pen. As a stay-at-home mom of two young boys, she found herself drowning in an identity crisis, using alcohol as "self-care" while silently wondering, "Who am I? How did I get here?"
When Christine discovered a 100-day drawing challenge on Instagram just as she decided to quit drinking, something unexpected happened. What started as a simple commitment to draw daily for 100 consecutive days became the cornerstone of her sobriety. By establishing a creative practice with clear parameters—one notebook, one set of pens, just 10 minutes daily—Christine accidentally created a powerful recovery tool that filled the time and space previously occupied by alcohol.
The neurological impact was profound. Her daily creative practice delivered small, sustainable dopamine hits that helped rewire her brain away from substance dependence patterns. More importantly, the consistency built something she'd been missing: trust in herself. "I was shocked at the end that I actually did it," she shares, revealing how each completed drawing reinforced her ability to keep promises to herself—a fundamental skill in recovery.
Beyond the neurological benefits, Christine's creative journey connected her with a community that offered new ways to relate without alcohol. She discovered parts of herself long buried under motherhood's demands and society's expectations. "I started to see myself—proof of my own life right there on paper," she explains, capturing the existential healing that creative expression offers.
Now a SheRecovers coach and counselor at a Seattle-based recovery center, Christine facilitates women's intensive outpatient programs incorporating art for emotional and spiritual growth. Her 7-day creative challenges and 100-day sobriety programs help others discover what she learned firsthand—that creativity isn't about becoming a professional artist but about expressing yourself authentically, quieting your inner critic, and building confidence that extends far beyond art into every area of recovery.
Connect With Christine at www.alchemy-recovery.net to learn how small, consistent creative practices can become the foundation for lasting change.
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