About Andrew Drasen and A Vision of Hope Media
About Andrew Drasen: Author, speaker, and founder of A Vision of Hope Media, his work draws on lived experience of addiction, incarceration, and redemption.
About A Vision of Hope Media
A Vision of Hope began as one person’s story — and is becoming a movement.
After walking through the darkness of addiction, incarceration, and loss, I discovered that redemption isn’t just about personal change — it’s about what you do with your second chance. I chose to tell my story, unfiltered and unflinching, so that others could see themselves in it and believe change is possible.
From that choice came A Vision of Hope: A Story of Redemption and Purpose, its companion book Reflections, and a workbook designed for use in treatment and reentry programs, as well as for individuals seeking growth and self-reflection. These works are more than books. They are tools for growth, self-awareness, and transformation.
Through A Vision of Hope Media, we create resources, share stories, and build connections that inspire recovery, foster personal responsibility, and spark systemic change. Our mission is to help individuals not only overcome their past, but also step boldly into a future filled with purpose.
Whether you’re on your own journey of healing, walking alongside someone who is, or working in a program that changes lives, A Vision of Hope is here to be a guide, a companion, and a reminder that it’s never too late to begin again.
Because hope isn’t just something you find. It’s something you build; brick by brick, action by action, thought by thought.
So long as you hold onto hope, all is not lost.
About Andrew Drasen
Andrew Drasen was born in Racine, WI. He is 37 years old and currently lives in Franklin, WI, with his dog Eeva.
After his release and the completion of A Vision of Hope, he got together with Caroline, his fiancé. They were together for 5.5 years before she tragically took her life after a mental health crisis.
This loss devestated Andrew, while simultaneously lighting the fire that burned within to share his story and use it to help others heal and find direction for their lives.
Andrew’s personal beliefs are that with addiction, it isn’t the relationship with drugs and alcohol that are the problem. It’s the relationship with self, others, and the world around us.
Andrew created an innovative framework centered around identity restoration, cognitive restructuring, goal setting, action planning, and legacy framing. He believes that when we live with intention, guided by the light within us all, drugs and alcohol fall away as a natural byproduct of living on purpose.
My Writing Philosophy
Writing with Purpose
For me, writing isn’t just about telling stories. It’s about telling the truth. A Vision of Hope and its companion works were born in the middle of incarceration and recovery, written in real time as I fought to change my life. My goal is to put lived experience on the page so others can see themselves, learn from the setbacks and the turning points, and know that hope is possible even in the darkest places.
I write to connect through honesty, accountability, and purpose, so that every reader walks away not just moved, but challenged to act on their own vision of hope.
I use a conversational writing style and write as I would talk. I attempt to distill what I thought and felt in the memoir, give the lessons learned in Reflections, and allow for practical application in The Workbook.
I believe that we all have something to recover from, and we can all learn from others. Whether that’s what to do, or what not to do. We can learn from the biggest fool, or the greatest sage; it makes no difference.
I hope others can use my story as a cautionary tale, or, as the name suggests, as A Vision of Hope. If you’re already stuck in addiction, the justice system, or simply living a life you never intended to live, this series is for you.
Authentic Voices
Stories written from lived experience, not theory or abstraction.
Hard Truths
Candid accounts of addiction, incarceration, and relapse—because sugar-coating helps no one.
Practical Hope
Guidance and frameworks that move beyond inspiration into daily action, planning, and purpose.
