<h3>Show Notes</h3><p><strong>Early Life & Tattoo Beginnings:</strong><br>JS grew up going back and forth to NYC, starting Fun City tattoo shop in the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, working with punk legends, including Iggy Pop and hanging around the Lower East Side near Katz’s Deli. Took over Spider Webb’s tattoo shop and innovated tattoo styles internationally.</p><p><strong>Wild Addiction Years:</strong><br>Struggled with violent, restless addiction in LA, carrying guns, dealing with near-death overdoses, and hitting rock bottom multiple times. Describes being surrounded by tragedy (neighbors dying, violence) while strung out.</p><p><strong>First Sobriety Attempts:</strong><br>Found AA through a phone call, went to meetings while sick and broken, experienced his first sober year full of fear and confusion but connected with a tribe. Stayed sober for 10 years but was still dangerously angry and unstable.</p><p><strong>Relapse & Real Surrender:</strong><br>After years dry but miserable, relapsed hard on speedballs and other drugs. After a near-fatal speedball overdose, sincerely prayed for help for the first time — a turning point that led to a true surrender and lasting recovery.</p><p><strong>Spiritual Awakening & 12 Steps:</strong><br>Recommitted to sobriety at 48, dove deep into 12-step literature and principles, learning the disease was rooted in selfishness, self-centeredness, and insanity, not just substances. Developed a personal understanding of “God as we understood Him” and built a spiritual relationship that restored sanity.</p><p><strong>Plant Medicine Experiences:</strong><br>Explores ayahuasca and ibogaine ceremonies in Brazil and Mexico — the mother and stern general of plant medicines. Describes transformative, often brutal trips, communicating with ancestral spirits, and being a bridge to help suffering souls find peace.</p><p><strong>Integration with AA:</strong><br>Believes his foundation in AA allowed the plant medicine experiences to speak in a language he understood, blending 12-step spirituality with psychedelic healing. Emphasizes these tools aren’t for everyone; people must be called to them.</p><p><strong>Writing & Legacy:</strong><br>Channels his higher self to write influential, raw literature about addiction and recovery. Proud of his work that connects deeply with people facing darkness.</p><p><strong>Wild Stories & Encounters:</strong><br>Remembers meeting Johnny Depp and Hunter S. Thompson, including a hilarious story about buying mummified fingers at a flea market and delivering a sarcastic note to a hotel room.</p>