By Ivonne Spinoza
[Image above courtesy the artist: “Grenade Head,” by Peter J Buotte, digitally-milled aluminum, detonator fuze, 2005.]
Most people may be familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other common types of psychotherapy, but art therapy remains somewhat of a mystery to the general public. Not incorporating it into a treatment plan could be a huge missed opportunity for veterans who’ve experienced trauma and other patients in need of mental health support.
“Art is a means of therapy and a way to heal,” says Marine Corps veteran Jerry Rael. “It helps me escape some of the things that I went through during my time in service.”
Art can also be therapeutic for families who have lost a loved one in battle, as seen in Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen. In the film, Marine Anthony Marquez carves battlefield crosses out of wood for each lost service member and then hand-delivers them to Gold Star families, including a grieving mother who had attempted suicide.
What is art therapy and what makes it special?
“Integrating art therapy into a comprehensive treatment plan, alongside other therapies like CBT or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), allows for a more well-rounded approach to healing,” says Elvis Rosales, LCSW, clinical director at Align Recovery Centers. “It addresses not only the psychological aspects of trauma but also the emotional and even spiritual dimensions, leading to a more holistic recovery.”
Kristie Tse, founder of Uncover Mental Health Counseling, adds that “this form of therapy [also] aids in enhancing fine motor skills and cognitive functions, which are critical post-service.”
Yolanda Gonzales and Adan Gonzales, Sr. hold a photo of their son Sgt. Adan Gonzales, Jr. Gold Star parents of Sgt. Gonzales, who was killed in Afghanistan on August 7th, 2011. They stand next to a handcarved battlefield cross sculpture from veteran artist Anthony Marquez. (From Make Peace or Die: Honor the Fallen.)
While we don’t yet fully understand why art helps us feel better and aids mental health treatments, we know that the process of creation promotes mindfulness and presence, and can even help us heal physically.
We also know that as a species our brains have shown an undeniable connection to art, and this is now being studied in the field of neuroarts.
Paul Daidone, MD, FASAM, medical director at True Self Recovery, says, “Research indicates that engaging in creative pursuits can mitigate the symptoms of PTSD among veterans by providing a secure and regulated setting for reframing traumatic experiences,” he says. “Veterans can confront and transform upsetting memories in art therapy, gradually loosening their psychological hold.”
Veterans using art to thrive
Meet some of the veterans inspiring others with their powerful, therapeutic art:
Richard Casper
Richard Casper is a Marine veteran who became an artist as a result of traumatic brain injuries he sustained in Iraq after surviving four different explosions from improvised explosive devices (IEDs). This incident, he recalls, literally changed the way his brain works and led him to explore his artistic side. Working mostly in ceramics, he says: “I want to explain to you what losing that innocence from war feels like. When I [found] that voice through art, then I needed a purpose for that voice.” (See more in the TIME documentary below.)
Ron Clements
U.S. Army veteran Ron Clements uses wood carving as therapy, and his remarkable work earned him a place in the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.
Clements uses fragments of different types of wood with varying colors and grain patterns, so his boxes look like camouflage. “I use pieces because I just got the pieces of my life put back together,” he says. As if speaking to his PTSD, he continues: “Don’t mess me up again.”
His sassy, hand-carved jewelry boxes include a “jewelry box with an attitude,” featuring hands defiantly on placed on its hips, which resembles the animated wardrobe from Beauty and the Beast.
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Jessica Rambo
Jessica Rambo is a Marine veteran who came home to fight her own personal battle with depression and anxiety after her service. It was when she decided to enroll in art school that she discovered just how much art can really heal.
“I left the Marine Corps not only with a broken body but a broken spirit,” she told us. “I moved to North Carolina and began attending art school at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. There I was able to drop my pack, adjust to civilian life, and clean up my mind and body not only for myself but my children.”
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After all that, Rambo decided that just healing herself wasn’t enough and paid it forward by teaching art classes at the Servant Center. “The Servant Center is there to empower homeless and disabled veterans to become contributing members of the community using housing, health care, and restorative services to aid in the transition,” she explains.
Now a welder, painter, and builder, she founded Painted Buffalo Traveling Studio—a nonprofit, veteran-artist founded and operated traveling art studio based out of a converted bus. “What I have come to realize is that life is the art of making, she added. “No matter if you’re a chef, a painter, a welder, a dancer, or a mechanic. When you connect your mind and your hands through your heart, you’re an artist.”
Bryan Dubreuiel
U.S. Navy veteran and painter Bryan Dubreuiel is “recognized for his approach to redefining figurative abstract art,” and today has a vibrant art career with multiple art exhibits featuring his work. While serving in the Navy, Dubreuiel traveled the world and found inspiration in museums and galleries, from masterpieces by all the famous artists he had learned about at an early age. He donates a portion of his painting sales to the United States Veterans’ Artists Alliance and other charities.
Peter J. Buotte
Peter J. Buotte is a U.S. Army veteran who not only used art to transform his life but decided to help others do the same by becoming one of the few art therapists within the U.S. Department of Defense. Here he talks about his journey from veteran to artist to therapist, and details the origins of each of his impactful pieces. About his creation “Grenade Head”—a striking, aluminum sculpture—Buotte says:
“[It was] a visual response to my first tour in Iraq in 2003. It is also the first foray into digital art rendered from a scan of my head. Threaded on top is a detonator fuse from a training grenade. It was a challenge seeing the impact on Iraqi culture, government, economy, and families living there. This sculpture allowed me to visually speak about frustration with the situation.”
Digitally-rendered sculptures and photographs of US Combat Veterans experiencing traumatic brain injury and/or post-traumatic stress pieces being displayed in “Invisible Wounds,” by Peter Buotte. *Note from the artist: “Each service member has participated voluntarily, signed an individual release, and has never been a patient in my service line.” Image used by permission from artist.
Warrior StoryField
Other contemporary veteran artists doing inspiring work include Brad Gallup (U.S. Air Force) and Danny Moore (U.S. Army), part of a grassroots project for veterans called Warrior StoryField. Together, with project founder Robert Bellows, they create impressive metal statues that explore the question: “What does it take for a veteran to come home?”
“More than 50 veterans from six wars, their families, and local civilians have been fabricating a 16-foot-tall dragon representing the fierce warrior, and an 18-foot-tall phoenix—a bird of rebirth—symbolizing the men and women who return home from war, fundamentally changed on the battlefield and seeking restoration.” (The Fabricator, 2019)
Exploring art therapy: Resources for veterans
Beyond the process of art creation itself, psychiatrist Dr. Michelle Dees believes another essential benefit is the community that veterans insert themselves into during art therapy sessions. This community helps prevent or counteract the feelings of loneliness that often come with experiencing trauma. “By creating a sense of community, veterans are more likely to feel understood and receive support related to them in the process of healing,” she says.
Events such as the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Indianapolis, organized by the Department of Veteran Affairs and the American Legion Auxiliary, bring together a community of veterans involved in artistic activities nationwide.
CreatiVets is a nonprofit organization with the “mission to empower wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music.” This organization is different because while most others tend to focus on tactile, visual arts, they also offer programs centered around songwriting, music, and creative writing, giving veterans a wider range of artistic expression.
Even when there are no official organizations in an area, some veterans have created their own initiatives, such as the nonprofit New Mexico Veterans Art, run entirely by volunteers. Their art show in Albuquerque annually honors Veterans Day in November, while their summer show brings even more veterans into the community.
The United States Veterans’ Artists Alliance is a multidisciplinary nonprofit that seeks to provide “opportunities for veterans in the arts by highlighting the work of veterans in the arts, humanities, and entertainment industry along with the contributions veterans have made to the rich cultural history of our nation.” They also fund artistic projects and serve as spokespersons for important issues within the veteran community.
If you’re a veteran or know someone who needs help beyond traditional counseling, art therapy can change—or even save—lives. May these artists and organizations above serve as inspiration.
Further viewing and listening:
An Artist’s Journey Podcast, “Army Vet Talks About the Benefits of Art Therapy for PTSD”
“VetArt and the Creativity of Veteran Artists”:
“Art Therapy Helps Veterans Deal with PTSD”
Ivonne Spinoza is a South American trilingual Latina writer and illustrator. She writes both for TV and about it, and her work aims to contribute to better representation while advancing equality. She writes mostly genre fiction and cultural analysis, but quite often will branch out wherever curiosity takes her. Find her everywhere online as @IvonneSpinoza.
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