No longer knitting under the influence.

Welcome to Joyful Sober. This is a series of conversations with inspiring people who think the topic of eliminating or reducing booze is anything but boring.

In episode one, we meet American, Australian artist Kate Just. Kate is known internationally for her contemporary knitting practice and for artworks that poetically confront social issues, from violence against women to systemic inequality of all kinds.

What fans and collectors might not know is that Kate quit drinking at the end of 2020. She’d been drinking every day in front of her family and wanted to role model a better way of dealing with difficult emotions. The first thing Kate needed to do was get community around her and connect with fun, joyful people who normalise not drinking.

The journey—of course—hasn’t always been easy. While Kate’s wife Paula notices a difference in the way Kate shows up for their relationship, Kate often needs to remind herself of the invisible benefits and treat herself with cake! Not surprisingly, Kate’s artwork has become more technically accurate and it’s no longer necessary to explain tipsy mistakes as an essential part of the process.

Kate is highly skilled in asking for what she needs. She gives some great pointers on putting your diva-demands out there with grace and ease.

Instragram @joyful_sober

Kate’s links:
https://www.katejust.com/
https://www.the-national.com.au/artists/kate-just/anonymous-was-a-woman/