What happens when recovery doesn’t just save your life—but reshapes your hands, your work, and your legacy?
In this powerful episode of the Artist Recovery Podcast, host Rich Wright sits down with Jimmy Garcia, founder of Mean Mug Pistons, a Texas-based creative venture where reclaimed engine pistons are transformed into hand-carved sculptures known as Mean Mugs. What starts as a conversation about art quickly becomes a deeper exploration of sobriety, blue-collar creativity, fatherhood, and the long road back to self-trust.
Jimmy’s work is raw, industrial, and unapologetically honest—much like his story. After years of addiction, he found recovery and has now celebrated 15 years of sobriety since August 22, 2009. Instead of leaving his past behind, Jimmy integrated it into his creative process, using discarded materials and hard-earned wisdom to create pieces that speak to resilience, grit, and transformation.
In this episode, Rich and Jimmy explore what it means to rebuild from the inside out—how recovery changes not just your habits, but your relationship to work, identity, and purpose. Jimmy opens up about the realities of long-term sobriety, the responsibility of fatherhood, and the discipline required to keep choosing growth even when no one is watching.
They also discuss Jimmy’s journey as an e-book author and mentor, including his book Tenacity: A Blue-Collar Man’s Road to Healing, where he shares lessons learned through addiction, recovery, and reclaiming self-worth. This conversation speaks directly to artists, makers, and creatives who come from nontraditional paths—those who didn’t come up through galleries or academia, but through lived experience.
With a massive and dedicated following across Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, Jimmy has built a global audience by staying grounded in authenticity. His sculptures ship worldwide, but his message stays personal: healing isn’t clean, creativity isn’t linear, and recovery is an ongoing act of courage.

This episode is for:
• Artists navigating recovery or sobriety
• Creatives from blue-collar or nontraditional backgrounds
• Anyone turning pain into purpose
• Makers redefining what art “gets to be”
• Those learning how to build a meaningful life one honest day at a time

Connect with Jimmy:
Youtube: @meanmugpistons6014
Facebook: @meanmugpistons
Instagram: @meanmugpistons
Tik Tok: @meanmugpistons

#JimmyGarciaInterview, #ArtistRecoveryPodcast, #RecoveryAndCreativity, #LongTermSobriety, #AddictionRecoveryJourney, #BlueCollarArtist, #ReclaimedMaterialsArt, #SculpturalStorytelling, #HealingThroughArt, #CreativeResilience, #FatherhoodAndRecovery, #TurningPainIntoPurpose, #SoberArtistJourney, #IndustrialArt, #MeanMugPistons, #richwrightartist #richwrightunlimited #richwrightunltd #richwrightart #metalworker #mechanic #mechaniclife

Support the show

Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright

Follow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.com
Join the Community: https://www,artrecroom.com

Listen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com

Connect:

Instagram

Facebook

X

TikTok

Linkedin